World Cup awaits Argentina's Julián Álvarez, the striker worth – at least – 150 million euros

The battle for the World Cup Golden Boot has got off to a fiery start. The era's most voracious goal-scorers staked their claims from match day one, and Argentina's Julián Álvarez, one of the most sought-after number nines in the game, is determined not to fall behind.

The Atlético Madrid forward started on the bench as Argentina began their campaign with a 3-0 win over Algeria, powered by a sensational hat-trick from Lionel Messi.

Facing a fragile North African defence, the Argentina captain needed no help from Álvarez or his replacement up front, Lautaro Martínez.

At almost 39, Messi once again left the football world in awe, conjuring three goals seemingly out of nothing.

Midfielders Rodrigo De Paul and Thiago Almada set up two of the goals, while the third came after he pounced on a poor clearance by the goalkeeper following a shot from fellow midfielder Alexis Mac Allister.

Álvarez replaced Martínez in the 55th minute, with Argentina still searching for a second goal, and watched from the pitch as Messi completed his historic hat-trick, equalling German striker Miroslav Klose's World Cup scoring record of 16 goals.

'La Araña' just missed out on a starting role on the tournament's opening match day, which also saw braces from the three other top strikers of the moment: France's Kylian Mbappé, Norway's Erling Haaland and England's Harry Kane.

An ankle problem had kept Álvarez sidelined since early May, and coach Lionel Scaloni was unwilling to risk his trusted centre-forward.

At Qatar 2022, his first World Cup, Álvarez was also a substitute for the first two matches before earning a starting spot by the end of the group stage, going on to score four goals in Argentina's title run – bettered only by Mbappé (eight) and Messi (seven).

A regular too in Argentina's Copa América-winning squad of 2024, the encouraging signs Álvarez showed physically against Algeria could earn him a starting role against Austria in Dallas on Monday, where Argentina will look to seal qualification early.

Coveted in Madrid and Barcelona

Álvarez had not been seen on a pitch since Atlético Madrid's Champions League semi-final defeat to Arsenal, which condemned the Madrid club to another trophyless season.

Though sidelined with injury, the former Manchester City forward has been at the centre of the current transfer window as the object of desire for Europe's biggest clubs.

The 26-year-old striker has reignited a rivalry in the boardrooms of Real Madrid and Barcelona, with both giants moving for him using starkly different strategies.

Florentino Pérez, recently re-elected as Real Madrid president, tabled a 150-million-euro (US$172 million) bid for the Argentine – a figure higher than any transfer fee in the club's history.

In an unusual move, Real Madrid made the offer public, along with Atlético's subsequent rejection of it — Atlético insists their star is not for sale.

Barcelona, meanwhile, has made more discreet approaches for Álvarez, whom the club sees as the ideal replacement for Poland's Robert Lewandowski, and is reportedly preparing a new bid worth 135 million euros (US$153 million) plus add-ons, according to Catalan media.

Atlético, who protected Álvarez with a 500-million-euro (US$573-million) release clause, voiced their frustration on Wednesday over the mounting pressure surrounding the Argentine's future.

"One does get tired of it," said Atlético president Enrique Cerezo in Spain.

Álvarez "is an Atlético Madrid player, and whoever wants him can look at the contract – if it interests them, they can take him, and if not, they won't," the club president declared, insisting there was "no indication" that the Argentine wanted to leave Atlético after only two seasons.