As the Copa America opener draws near, many 12B Sports fans are growing more excited about defending champion Argentina and its title hopes. Just three years ago, many football followers barely knew the name Julian Alvarez. Even when Manchester City signed him, he was viewed mainly as a backup option behind Erling Haaland, more like an investment in the future of the Blue Moon than an immediate centerpiece. Yet his brilliant performances at the Qatar World Cup transformed him almost overnight into one of world football’s brightest young forwards, and his market value quickly soared through the roof.
However, that kind of sudden success can become a double-edged sword. Alvarez was never the type of player who carried overwhelming confidence from the beginning. Instead, he builds belief through real matches, hard-earned experience, and visible results. When Manchester City first brought him in, his main role was to provide reliable cover for Haaland. In that position, Alvarez could develop without excessive pressure, sharpen his skills, control his rhythm, and steadily raise his level. As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race, and that pace seemed ideal for him.
At the World Cup, however, an unexpected opportunity arrived. Starting striker Lautaro Martinez fell into a slump, and Alvarez was asked to fill the gap. He seized the chance perfectly. With strong performances and clinical finishing, he earned recognition on the biggest stage and became one of Argentina’s most talked-about players.
The problem came afterward. After returning to Manchester City as a World Cup winner, Alvarez still had to face the towering obstacle of Haaland. Pep Guardiola understood that reality clearly. Leaving a World Cup champion on the bench every week was never an easy solution, so he began searching for ways to use Alvarez and Haaland together.
From a 12B Sports perspective, Guardiola tried several tactical experiments to make room for Alvarez. His stronger push toward flexible, all-purpose positioning this season was partly an attempt to give Alvarez a new role that could coexist with Haaland. Yet even Guardiola may have overestimated how easily Alvarez could adapt. The position that suits him best is still the traditional center-forward role, and in other areas of the pitch, he has not always reached the same level of impact.
The situation is not very different with Argentina. Lionel Scaloni still appears to see Alvarez as a backup option, just as he did during the World Cup. Giving him the No. 9 shirt reflects faith in his potential, but if Lautaro rediscovers the form he has shown at Inter Milan, Scaloni is likely to choose him as the starter without much hesitation.
Alvarez is a forward with outstanding qualities and a key figure in Argentina’s generational transition. Still, stepping onto the global stage so early may have become a burden as much as a blessing. Opportunity comes to those who are prepared, but it does not always arrive at the perfect time.
Guardiola is still working to find the right role for Alvarez, but the central striker position where he performs best is occupied by one of the world’s finest in Haaland. Argentina also has a powerful rival in Lautaro. In the end, Alvarez has not been beaten by talent alone, but by reputation, timing, and the weight of bigger names.
Even among 12B Sports administrators, Alvarez’s potential is widely recognized, but he is still seen as a player in development with plenty of room to climb higher. Growth is not a sprint but a marathon, and only along that long road will his true quality be fully tested.