It wasn’t a surprise to find Manchester City forward, Julian Alvarez’s name among the nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or awards when the list was announced on September 6.
This is because Alvarez achieved a lot in the game during the 2022/23 football season and in the year under review as set out by the organisers of the prestigious awards.
There is no doubt that the Argentine international stands a very good chance of winning the Ballon d’Or when the ceremony takes place at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France on October 30 due to the following reasons…
Historic Treble win with Man City
Álvarez secured a historic treble with Manchester City and indeed, since signing for the Premier League giants in January 2022 for €21.4 million, he has been something of a surprise package in Guardiola’s side.
Julian Alvarez celebrates with the Premier League trophy. (Photo by AFP)
By no means the most expensive addition to one of the most costly teams in the history of football, the Argentine striker has quickly become a vital member of a team that conquered all before them last season.
And the forward certainly played his part with 17 goals and five assists in 49 appearances across all competitions with some of his strikes helping the Cityzens to secure very important victories.
Second only to Erling Haaland, Álvarez really thrived as a goalscorer for Man City during the 2022/23 campaign despite the fact that he played 26 games as a substitute while starting 23.
While Haaland is unquestionably the club’s star striker, Álvarez has proven to be the perfect back-up for Man City as he is capable of playing in the Norwegian’s role or alongside him.
Alvarez won major club trophies & World Cup
Notable achievements saw Alvarez being a key part of the Argentina squad that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar while he also won the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League with Manchester City.
Julian Alvarez lifts the FIFA World Cup Trophy as he celebrates with teammates after winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup final. (Photo by AFP)
In total, the striker featured in seven matches at the prestigious tournament in Qatar, scoring a tremendous four goals as La Albiceleste lifted the famous trophy for the first time since 1986 when he hadn’t even been born.
If the Ballon d’Or was solely about a Venn diagram of winning, Alvarez would top these rankings as there was no other player in the world that won as much important silverware as he did.
For now, he can be content with finishing as the most-decorated footballer on the planet for the 2022-23 campaign, and though performances are meant to trump trophies when it comes to Ballon d’Or voting, the Argentina forward can claim to have provided both over the course of the season.
Records Julian Alvarez set in 2022/23 season
In Man City’s 3-1 victory over Sevilla in November 2022, Alvarez became the youngest Argentine to be directly involved in three single Champions League goals as he scored once and assisted twice at 22 years and 275 days.
Julian Alvarez of Manchester City celebrates with the UEFA Champions League trophy after the English team’s victory in the UEFA Champions League 2022/23 final match between FC Internazionale and Manchester City FC at Ataturk Olympic Stadium on June 10, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by AFP)
This saw him surpass his fellow compatriot, Lionel Messi who achieved the same feat in a European success with Barcelona over Bayern Munich in 2009.
Thanks to Rodrigo’s second-half drilled strike in the Champions League final showpiece with Inter Milan securing a 1-0 victory, Alvarez joined a star-studded list to win the World Cup and European Cup in the same season (only the 10th player to achieve the feat).
But the achievements didn’t stop there for the 23-year-old as he became the first-ever player to win the Treble and the World Cup in a single season.
Only six Premier League players scored more goals in all competitions than Alvarez in 2022-23 as he proved that he needs to be more than just a back-up for Man City going forward.
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