Football imagines (Misc players)

Mi campeón (Julián Álvarez)

"Wake up", said your classmate, laughing at the faces you were making trying not to fall asleep.

You had been trying to pay attention all morning, but it was hard when you had barely been able to get any sleep the previous night. After the semifinal win for Argentina, in which your boyfriend Julián scored a brace, the adrenaline in your body made it impossible to fall asleep. And you also spent two hours on facetime with him once he was back in the hotel.

Because of university, you knew you couldn't go to Qatar from the beginning of the tournament but you really hoped to be there for the final if the team reached it. It was then that you were told there were visa problems that made it impossible for you to travel over there. The disappointment was hard to hide but you did your best. Julián had enough to worry about.

"Good luck", you heard your professor say when you walked past him on your way out of the classroom.

"Excuse me?"

"For the final", he added, pointing at the Argentina shirt you were wearing.

"Right. Thank you. We'll need it".

"I'm sure the little man will work his magic and get the cup. See you next year".

"See you then".

Not being able to go to Qatar meant you were travelling to Argentina a week earlier than you would have on a normal uni year. The team was going to travel there anyways and both you and Julián had plans to spend Christmas with your families in your hometown.

The two of you had known each other since you were babies. Born two months apart and being neighbours your entire life, even though you hated each other when you were kids. Everyone could tell the change in your relationship once you got a bit older and it was a couple of years ago that you proved their theories right by starting to date.

Now you have followed him to Manchester but not to Qatar. The last time you were away from each for so long was probably ten years ago. But the wait was almost over now. You were going to see him in a couple of days.

**

"Another penalty?"

Your family house erupted with all types of colourful insults dedicated to the referee who had just given another penalty to France, which meant they equalized again and the match was ending in a penalty shootout.

Julián had already been taken off, so that meant he wasn't going to take any penalties. A part of you was glad, even if you always trusted him to score it. But the thought of him missing it and getting abuse from people broke your heart. And he'd also blame himself after a great tournament, forgetting every good performance he had before. So maybe it was for the best he was on the bench right now. Even if you knew he wouldn't be happy about it.

It only took a couple of minutes for the penalty shootout to be over, but to the entire country, it felt like it lasted several hours. But they had done it! Argentina were the world champions! Your boyfriend was a world champion. It was hard to believe. It seemed it was only two days ago that you were playing with him and all the other kids in your neighbourhood after school. And now there he was, champion of the world. It wasn't the first trophy he had won but it was the biggest he could ever win.

Even though you knew he wasn't going to get access to his phone for a while, you immediately sent him a text congratulating him and telling him how proud you were and how much you loved him. He always read your messages first even if he had to scroll down to find them because you were always the first one to text.

Your family decided to go out and join everyone celebrating on the streets but they couldn't convince you to go out as well. You wanted to be away from the noise when Julián called you.