Argentina star faced 20,000-signature petition to dump girlfriend over World Cup final act

Argentina star faced 20,000-signature petition to dump girlfriend over World Cup final act A viral clip led to fans launching a petition calling for an Argentina World Cup hero to break up with his girlfriend Julian Alvarez’s personal life was once the target of an extraordinary fan petition, with passionate Argentina supporters demanding he split from his stunning girlfriend. Alvarez played a key role for Argentina on Wednesday night, playing the full 90 minutes as they edged out England in a 2-1 World Cup semi-final victory. But while the Atletico Madrid striker was busy shattering English dreams on the pitch, it was his own relationship that fans previously tried to tear apart. The former Manchester City star has known Maria Emilia Ferrero—who goes by her middle name, Emilia—since their teenage years in Cordoba. However, the couple kept their relationship under wraps for years, only going public in 2022. The romance was only publicised after the forward's high-profile switch from River Plate to the Etihad, which saw Emilia uproot her life to join the striker in Manchester. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page Alvarez truly burst into the global spotlight during the Qatar 2022 World Cup, netting four crucial goals to help Argentina end their 36-year wait for football's ultimate prize. Emilia was a constant source of support in the stands throughout the tournament, which gained her a massive social media following. In the wake of their World Cup triumph, the pair headed back to their home city, where fans were understandably delighted to welcome their local hero. Alvarez had just finished dinner at Ferrero's family home in Cordoba when a group of young fans gathered outside and made a beeline for her boyfriend as the couple stepped out. Ferrero looked visibly annoyed and appeared to prevent them from taking pictures with Alvarez in a viral clip that quickly spread across social media. Her response, however, sparked fury among many of Alvarez's supporters online, with one fan taking things further by setting up a petition on Change.org demanding the footballer end their relationship. The petition quickly gained traction, attracting 20,000 signatures, which led former hockey player Ferrero to issue a statement on social media addressing the controversy. The 26-year-old attempted to explain her actions, revealing that several of the fans were actually her school pupils and that she was merely trying to organise a collective group photo with Alvarez, rather than several individual selfies. Unsurprisingly, the then-City star completely ignored the petition. Instead, their connection has only deepened, with Ferrero following her partner to Spain after his £81million transfer to Atletico Madrid in 2024. Her social media presence has expanded considerably since then, now possessing 791,000 followers on Instagram. Most of her content centres around her life as a mother, supporting Alvarez at matches, gym selfies and eye-catching bikini photos. Earlier this year, the pair celebrated the arrival of their first child together, a son named Amadeo, who was born on January 2. Ferrero and baby Amadeo made the journey to North America to cheer on Alvarez this summer. Emilia wrote in one recent social media post: "Nuestro primer mundial juntos," which translates to "Our first World Cup together," before expressing how proud she was of the striker on Wednesday. The family of three are set to relocate once more this summer amid reports linking Alvarez to a potential switch to either Barcelona or Arsenal. Alvarez, whose only goal at this World Cup came against Switzerland, announced that he informed Atletico of his desire to leave the club earlier in the tournament. England and Nike have launched the new home, away and goalkeeper kits to be worn at this summer's FIFA World Cup. You can get free delivery on all orders with the code DEAL.