Alvarez: Things were difficult despite our numerical superiority

Julian Alvarez, a player for the Argentine national football team, pledged to help lead his country to retain its World Cup title after scoring one of the tournament’s standout goals, guiding his side to a victory over Switzerland in the round of 16 and setting up a quarterfinal clash with England.

For the first time in the 2026 edition, Lionel Messi failed to score for the defending champions, but Alvarez showcased his magic in extra time by curling a shot from 20 meters into the top corner, securing a 3-1 win for Argentina.

Speaking to journalists after Brailo Imbula received his second yellow card for simulation in the 72nd minute, Alvarez said, “First of all, I’m happy. We kept trying until the end, and things got tough even though we had a numerical advantage. We knew that if we kept fighting together, the goal would come, and that’s exactly what happened. Of course, we would have preferred to settle the match earlier, but we know it’s not easy.”

Argentina reached the quarterfinals after hard-fought 3-2 victories over Cape Verde and Egypt, before overcoming another tough test against Switzerland.

Argentina will face England in Atlanta on Wednesday, with Alvarez focused on winning the World Cup title for a second consecutive time.

He added, “All the World Cup matches have been this difficult. Now there are only two games left, and we will give everything we have to win the title.”