World Cup fever has well and truly hit the United States, and many Hollywood stars have been getting involved in the fun.
Born in Kingston upon Thames in southwest London, Spider-Man lead Tom Holland has been a football fan all his life, growing up as a loyal Tottenham Hotspur supporter.
Holland was recently in Madrid to promote his upcoming film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and he also attended the Spanish National Team’s World Cup Kick Off Celebration.
Speaking to reporters during the event, Tom Holland later declared his admiration for a players who regularly turns up with a Spiderman celebration after scoring goals: Julian Alvarez.
“I know him, he is actually in my fantasy team. He would make a great Spiderman,” Holland said. “I would love to meet you one day. I am a big fan. I hope you have an amazing tournament I hope you do really well.”
🚨 Tom Holland to Julián Álvarez: "You would make a great Spider-Man! I'd love to meet you one day, I'm a big fan and I hope you will have a great World Cup."
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) June 15, 2026
🎥 @DAZN_ES pic.twitter.com/e2ZV3zCP9V
Alvarez was quick to acknowledge Holland’s praise, posting a clip of the interview to his Instagram story with a caption that said “@tomholland2013 we’ve saved a no.9 shirt for you. 🕷️⚽”
After a dream run in Qatar that culminated with their third World Cup win, Argentina come into this year’s tournament as heavy favourites to go all the way once again.
Back in 2022, Alvarez was still an up-and-coming talent, relatively unproven on the international stage. In fact, he entered the tournament behind Lautaro Martinez in the pecking order, but inconsistent performances from the Inter captain opened the door for him to stake his claim in the starting XI, and he never looked back.
This time, however, he is vital to the team’s chances of success and a key part of manager Lionel Scaloni’s plans.
As good as any striker in world football with the ball at his feet, Alvarez’s importance is amplified by what he does without it. A relentless presser that doesn’t allow opposing defences a moment’s peace, the 26-year-old offers the sort of work rate that gives Argentina the luxury of allowing Lionel Messi to conserve all his energy for decisive moments.
Looking to defend their crown, Argentina’s first assignment of the 2026 World Cup comes in the form of African giants Algeria. With the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Ibrahim Maza in their ranks, the Algerians definitely have enough quality to trouble any team.
While it is still a game Argentina are expected to dominate and ultimately win, the reigning champions cannot afford to get complacent. Having experienced the shock defeat to Saudi Arabia in 2022, much of this squad knows first-hand how quickly things can go wrong when concentration slips at this level.
