Julián Álvarez
Argentine forward for Atlético de Madrid and Argentina, known as La Araña, who shares his football journey with fans on Instagram.
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Latest
Julián’s happenings, collected from public sources, plus his backstory and Starbook, where fans write.
Known for
Overview
- Born
- 31 January 2000, Calchín, Córdoba, Argentina
- Known as
- La Araña, meaning The Spider
- On the pitch
- Forward for Atlético de Madrid and Argentina
- Breakout
- River Plate league champion and South American Footballer of the Year in 2021
Mini bio
How it started.
Julián grew up in Calchín, Argentina, playing football with his brothers and for local club Atlético Calchín. He joined River Plate’s academy in 2016 and made his senior debut on 27 October 2018. Within weeks, he came on in extra time in River’s Copa Libertadores final victory.
The River breakthrough.
His scoring helped River win the Argentine league in 2021, the year he was named South American Footballer of the Year. Manchester City agreed to sign him in January 2022, with Julián remaining at River before moving to England that July.
A World Cup and a treble.
At Qatar 2022, he earned a starting place for Argentina and scored four goals, including two against Croatia in the semi-final. He then helped Manchester City win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 2023. His two seasons at City brought 36 goals in 103 appearances.
Madrid and beyond.
He joined Atlético de Madrid in August 2024 on a contract running to 2030. In March 2026, he reached 100 appearances for the club. Fans can also follow his story through Standing Alone, the City Studios documentary tracing his childhood, family and rise in football.
Creditschronological, newest first
Club football
- 2024–presentAtlético de MadridForward
- 2022–2024Manchester CityForward
- 2018–2022River Plate first teamForward
International football
- 2021–presentArgentina senior national teamForward; 2022 World Cup winner
Documentary
- 2024Julian Alvarez: Standing AloneDocumentary subject
Awards
- South American Footballer of the Year2021 · Recognised during his breakthrough at River Plate.
- FIFA World Cup champion2022 · Winner with Argentina, scoring four goals in Qatar.
- Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League winner2023 · Part of Manchester City’s treble-winning squad.
- Jugador Cinco EstrellasSeptember 2025 · Atlético supporters’ monthly player award.
Quotes
I love that here people call me La Arana in Spanish because my nickname is like that.Julián Álvarez, Manchester City Magazine
Explaining why hearing his childhood nickname from fans in Manchester made him happy.
Trivia
- His family’s Spider nickname came from his quick feet: as a child, he seemed to have extra legs when he played.
- He chose Manchester City’s number 19 partly because the 19th was his grandmother’s birthday.
- He scored six goals in River Plate’s 8-1 Copa Libertadores win over Alianza Lima in May 2022.
Find Julián
Follow Julián on Instagram for moments from his football journey.
Are you Julián Álvarez?
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