Julián Álvarez — Argentina World Cup 2026 Squad

Julian Alvarez plays like a striker who never got told to stop defending. He is 25, he plays for Atletico Madrid, and he has 48 caps with 26 goals for Argentina. That return is strong on its own, but it is the rest of his game that makes him so valuable in tournament football. He chases centre-backs, closes passing lanes, and keeps broken phases alive until Argentina recover the ball or turn the mistake into a chance. Then he is calm enough to finish. His 2022 World Cup moments still sit in the memory, and 2026 feels like the tournament where he could move from brilliant supporting figure to one of the main attacking references. Argentina will happily take that trade if it comes.