India, June 6 -- Julian Alvarez skipped past a defender as he entered the penalty box, his back towards the goal. He had dragged the ball away from the defender with his first touch. With the second, he moved it away from a tackle. The third was a powerfully-struck side-footed shot that flew into the top corner of the net.

At Stadium 974 in Doha against Poland, it proved to be the goal that cemented Argentina's progression into the knockout stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. What it also did was secure Alvarez's spot as a starter for his team for the rest of the tournament. Weeks later, he would go on to lift the World Cup as a part of the Argentina team, led and inspired by Lionel Messi.

Alvarez was 22 at the time, but his role and impo...