Julian Alvarez opens up on experience of playing alongside Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland

Manchester City attacker Julian Alvarez recently said that playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland is helping him improve. Alvarez is teammates with Messi at the international level for Argentina and shares the dressing room with Haaland at Manchester City.

Messi and Haaland finished first and second respectively in the 2023 Ballon d'Or standings. They are two top players in world football at the moment and Alvarez has now revealed how having such amazing teammates is helping him grow. The 23-year-old striker said (via Yard Barker):

"Playing and training with Haaland and Messi makes you better, and you learn a lot. It is a dream to be among them, and I am growing as a player and as a person."

Alvarez added:

"Last season was long and intense, because there were many times. I'm full of confidence and I've been getting a lot of minutes. I can learn a lot from my teammates, and I listen to them and the coaches."

Julian Alvarez was a key player for Argentina during the 2022 FIFA World Cup winning campaign. He scored four goals and provided one assist in seven appearances. Alvarez has shared the pitch 22 times with Lionel Messi, combining in three goals.

Meanwhile, alongside Erling Haaland, the Argentine won the European treble with Manchester City last term. He has so far played alongside the Norwegian striker 45 times, combining in six goals.

Alvarez has made 17 appearances for Manchester City so far this season, scoring seven goals and providing five assists across competitions.

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Manchester City's Manuel Akanji thinks Erling Haaland should have won the Ballon d'Or ahead of Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland were the consensus favorites for the 2023 Ballon d'Or. While the Norwegian scored 52 goals in 53 games across competitions last season, Messi's World Cup triumph outweighed the numbers.

Manuel Akanji has now claimed that Haaland, who helped City win the European treble in 2022-23, should have gotten the nod. The defender said (via ESPN):

"He did everything he could last year. He's scored 50 goals and won the treble. Of course, it would have been nice for him to win but it's not just about that."

Akanji further went on to say that Haaland cares more about collective achievements than individual accolades, saying:

"I think he cares more about the team's success than the individual ones but I hope for him that he will win it one day."

The 2023 Ballon d'Or marked Lionel Messi's record-extending eighth win. Erling Haaland, meanwhile, is still chasing his first recognition as the best player in the world.