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Lionel Messi's old photo with Argentina teammate Julian Alvarez has resurfaced following the duo's FIFA World Cup heroics. Messi and Alvarez both played pivotal roles for La Albiceleste in their win against Croatia on Tuesday, December 13, to book a berth in their sixth FIFA World Cup final.
Lionel Scaloni's Argentina side defeated 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia 3-0 with Messi and Alvarez pairing up in blistering fashion. Lionel Messi opened the scoring for Argentina against Croatia from the spot after Julian Alvarez won Argentina a controversial penalty.
Alvarez then doubled the lead for Scaloni's side with a wonderful solo goal. It was Messi who came up with his sheer magic to set up Alvarez for Argentina's third.
Following the game, a decade-old photo of the two attackers has resurfaced. Ten years ago, Alvarez was just like any other young football fan in Argentina.
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Aged 12 back then, Alvarez was presented with an opportunity to snap a picture with his idol, none other than Lionel Messi.
Now, 10 years later, he is practically living his dream and is playing alongside his childhood hero.
Since he was young, Alvarez was pretty clear regarding two things. The first was to play in the World Cup donning an Argentina shirt. He was also pretty clear that he wanted to play in the World Cup with his idol Messi.
While Messi is having a phenomenal FIFA World Cup campaign, Julian Alvarez has also turned out to be a match-winner for Argentina.
Messi has found the back of the net five times in the World Cup while producing three assists in six games. Alvarez, on the other hand, has scored four goals and provided one assist and has caught the eye with his all-round performance.
Gary Lineker suggests Lionel Messi is the greatest footballer of all time after his heroics in the FIFA World Cup
Former England striker Gary Lineker has claimed that there should be no debate regarding Lionel Messi's status as the GOAT. The Argentine forward was at his absolute best during the semi-final clash against Croatia.
He dominated the proceedings as the South American ended Croatia's dream run in Qatar. This is the second time in a row that Luca Modric and Co. have reached the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup.
Lineker tweeted after Argentina's 3-0 win against Croatia in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals:
"Is there still a debate? Asking for a goat."
Lineker's tweet came after Messi produced an assist in the tournament, bamboozling through the Croatian defense to set up Julian Alvarez for Argentina's third goal.
Messi and Argentina will have their second chance to win the World Cup, having lost in Germany in 2014.
