Julian Alvarez, one of Argentina's top World Cup stars, faced huge external pressure to break up with his girlfriend after her behaviour drew criticism from fans. Following Argentina's dramatic 2-1 win over England in the World Cup semi-finals, a petition on Change.org calling on Alvarez to dump his long-time girlfriend, Emilia Ferrero, gained 20,000 signatures.
World Cup Glory and Backlash
Alvarez helped Argentina break English hearts on Wednesday night, playing the entirety of the semi-final match. But there was a point when the Atletico Madrid striker was instead being urged to break his own girlfriend's heart by Argentina supporters. Alvarez announced himself on the world stage at the Qatar World Cup in 2022, where he netted four goals on the way to ending Argentina's 36-year drought for a third title. His long-time girlfriend, Maria Emilia Ferrero, better known by her middle name, Emilia, had been cheering on Alvarez in Qatar and had attracted a large social media following with her posts during the World Cup, including the on-pitch celebrations after the trophy lift.
Incident in Cordoba
Following the World Cup success, the pair returned to their hometown of Cordoba, where fans were ecstatic to meet their local hero. Alvarez had just finished having dinner at Ferrero's family home when a group of young fans turned up outside and rushed towards her boyfriend as they left the premises. Ferrero was visibly irritated and appeared to deny them a chance to take pictures with Alvarez in a viral clip posted on social media. However, her reaction enraged many of Alvarez's fans online, with one fan going a step further by launching a petition on Change.org calling on the footballer to break up with her.
Ferrero's Response
The 26-year-old responded to the backlash by releasing a statement on social media. She sought to clarify her controversial behaviour, saying several of the fans in question were her school students and that she was simply trying to get them to all take a group photo with Alvarez, rather than lots of individual selfies. According to Ferrero, she was trying to manage the situation to ensure everyone got a photo together. The couple have known each other since they were teenagers in Cordoba, but only went public with their relationship in 2022, after the forward's move to Manchester City from River Plate, when she also relocated to Manchester with him.
Relationship Stronger Than Ever
Needless to say, the then-Manchester City star paid no attention to the petition. Instead, their relationship has grown stronger, with Ferrero following her beau to Spain following his £81 million move to Atletico Madrid in 2024. She has gained an even larger social media following since, currently boasting 791,000 followers on Instagram. The majority of her posts revolve around her motherhood, attending Alvarez's matches, gym selfies, and stunning bikini snaps. Earlier this year, the couple welcomed their first child together, a son named Amadeo, who was born on January 2. Ferrero and baby Amadeo travelled to North America to support Alvarez this summer.
Future Moves
Emilia wrote in one recent social media post: "Nuestro primer mundial juntos," which translates to "Our first World Cup together," before saying she was proud of the striker on Wednesday. The family of three are expected to move again this summer amid speculation linking Alvarez to a transfer to either Barcelona or Arsenal. Alvarez, whose only goal of the World Cup so far came against Switzerland, revealed that he told Atletico he wants to leave the club earlier in the tournament.
