Alvarez outshines Messi in early Champions League goal-scoring record

Despite a hefty transfer fee paid by Atletico Madrid during last summer's transfer window, Alvarez has unquestionably justified the investment with his exceptional performances. The Argentinian forward has been in scintillating form, further solidifying his reputation with a stunning goal against Real Madrid in their recent European derby.

Although Atletico Madrid lost 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, the striker's brilliant strike kept his side alive ahead of the return leg, marking his 15th Champions League goal. This feat is even more impressive considering that the former River Plate and Manchester City player has only played 26 matches in the prestigious competition.

When compared to other top scorers in the tournament after their first 26 games, Alvarez's 15 goals place him 12th, alongside the likes of Sadio Mane, Edinson Cavani, Andriy Shevchenko, Gabriel Jesus and Mario Jardel.

Alvarez's success in Europe has been felt against several top clubs, with the striker scoring multiple times against sides such as Copenhagen, Real Madrid, Red Star, Leipzig, Sparta Prague and Bayer Leverkusen. He also found the net once against Sevilla, Lille and Slovan Bratislava.

Surpassing Messi's record

Alvarez's achievement is made even more significant when considering that he is now the highest-scoring Argentinian in the Champions League after 26 appearances, surpassing none other than Lionel Messi.

Messi, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, had scored 13 goals by his 26th Champions League match. However, it's important to note that Messi reached this tally at just 21 years old, and in a less central role at Barcelona compared to Alvarez at Atletico Madrid.

The 25-year-old's record also surpasses that of other Argentinian forwards, including Hernan Crespo, who scored 13 goals in his first 26 Champions League games.

Haaland's record: A class of his own

While Alvarez's numbers are impressive, the Champions League goal-scoring leaderboard is dominated by Erling Haaland, who has set an extraordinary benchmark with 34 goals after his first 26 matches. Haaland, a former teammate of Alvarez at Manchester City, is far ahead of second-place Harry Kane and Alessandro del Piero, who both have 20 goals.

The full list of the top Champions League goal-scorers after their first 26 matches includes:

• Erling Haaland: 34
• Harry Kane and Alessandro del Piero: 20
• Ruud van Nistelrooy: 18
• Luis Suarez: 18
• Filippo Inzaghi and Robert Lewandowski: 17
• Didier Drogba, Roberto Soldado, Jari Litmanen and Neymar: 16
• Sadio Mane, Edinson Cavani, Andriy Shevchenko, Julian Alvarez, Gabriel Jesus and Mario Jardel: 15
• Adriano, Kylian Mbappe, Roberto Firmino and Vincent Aboubakar: 14
• Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah, Karim Benzema, Hernan Crespo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and others: 13