Alvarez delivers bold words after Argentina advances to the 2026 World Cup semifinals, clearly mentioning one individual.
On 12 July 2026, Julian Alvarez, Argentina's national team forward, spoke after the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal match in which Argentina narrowly defeated a 10-man Switzerland team 3-1 in extra time.
This victory keeps Argentina on track to defend their title and vie for a fourth World Cup championship as they prepare to face England in the semifinals on Wednesday, 15 July, kicking off at 02:00 on Thursday, 16 July, Thai time.
Julian Alvarez, the hero who scored the crucial goal to put Argentina ahead 2-1 in the 112th minute against Switzerland—who had lost Breel Embolo to a second yellow card resulting in a red in the 72nd minute—said, "I felt a great relief after scoring."
"We fought hard until the very last second, even though the situation became difficult and complicated despite our numerical advantage on the field."
"I don’t know how many more World Cup campaigns this team will share, so every victory is invaluable. We don’t play just for ourselves, but for our families, our people, and the chance to make history once again."
Julian Alvarez also spoke about Lionel Messi, Argentina’s captain who is aiming for a second consecutive World Cup title: "We will do everything to ensure Lionel Messi wins another World Cup. Every game is a fight for him. The first thing I did after scoring was to go and hug him."
