A World Cup winner’s medal can, for some players, symbolize some kind of closure, a mission accomplished, a peak achieved. When Alexis Mac Allister looks at herself, as she has done every day since December 18, 2022, she sees the beginning. Argentina’s victory over France sparked a desire in the Liverpool midfielder that was far from satisfied.
Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Chelsea will be Mac Allister’s first opportunity to win a trophy with Jurgen Klopp’s side and the first cup final of his senior club career. There have of course been successes on the international stage, from Argentina’s under-23s to the biggest victory in Qatar and the league title on loan at Boca Juniors. Memorabilia from all of them will eventually find their way to a museum Mac Allister is planning for the family home. But there is room to fill.
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“I definitely want more,” he says, moments after making two assists to turn an exciting night in Liverpool’s favor against Luton on Wednesday. “The way I am. The World Cup made me realize that I really want to win more trophies and so Sunday is a big opportunity. This is what I wanted when I signed for the club. This will be my first final with Liverpool, so it will be something very special for me and the team. “We weren’t thinking too much about the final because we had so many games and Luton was an important game, but now we can think about it and prepare well.”
But Mac Allister often finds time to reflect on his greatest achievement, and his World Cup medal is both motivation and a constant source of pride. “I look at it every day,” he says. “That’s what it means to me and what it means to my country. It’s the biggest game ever for a footballer, so it’s something I’m really proud of and hopefully a Carabao Cup medal next week can be something I look to too.
“My plan is to one day create a small museum in the house, a room where everything is there. “I have a replica of the World Cup, a medal and a few more trophies – all in a safe place for now – and my plan is to have a place where I can see them all the time.”
Mac Allister quickly emerged as a leader in the Liverpool team; Maybe a quiet and humble leader, but still an authority on the field. His versatility and game intelligence were two of the main reasons why Liverpool made him a priority for their midfield rebuild, with him arriving last summer for a discounted price of £35m thanks to a clause in his Brighton contract. Both helped the team to the top of the Premier League and endured almost constant disruption of the starting line-up.
“It’s crazy because from day one here I felt a connection that I’ve never felt at any other club,” he says. “It was time to compromise with other clubs. People have been very good at helping me settle here from day one. I really feel a connection with the fans and the club and I really love it here. It is one of the biggest clubs in the world. I hope I can spend many years here,” he said.
The summer signing was one of the most experienced players on display against Luton as Liverpool used seven players aged 21 and under in their last comeback, but Mac Allister will not be giving advice to any youngsters in the build-up to Wembley. “I’m still young too, I’m 25 years old. I think every player and every person is different, so I can’t say much about them; They just need to enjoy their football.
“The World Cup final is the biggest match in the world and of course it gives you a lot of confidence and it definitely helps when you have experience, but that’s not the most important thing. You can see the players playing the final for the first time and they do very well, just like the World Cup for me . [Mac Allister supplied the pass for Ángel Di María’s brilliant team goal in the final] so we should enjoy it. “Of course it’s an opportunity for this club to win a trophy and it will be special, but we have to play the game we want to play.”
In the final, the midfielder will face direct opposition from Argentina team-mate Enzo Fernández and former Brighton colleague Moisés Caicedo, who was beaten when Chelsea were beaten 4-1 at Anfield last month. “I don’t expect the same game we played here on Sunday,” says Mac Allister. “They are a good team and they have a few more days to recover, but that is what it is.”
Mac Allister and Caicedo would have remained team-mates had Chelsea managed to make a late move for the former last summer, or Liverpool had turned the latter’s head with a British record bid of £111 million. “Liverpool was the only chance,” Mac Allister says of his decision. He chose not to interfere with Caicedo’s business.
“It’s a personal decision and I’ll never be around it. It’s what he chose and that’s totally fine. We really didn’t [had contact since]. I spoke to him a bit when we played against Chelsea but not on WhatsApp or social media.
“Maybe what happened in the summer made me a little sad,” he says, laughing, “but that’s okay. “He’s a great player and a really good guy, so I wish him the best every day of his life, but not on Sunday.”
Mac Allister’s mother, Silvina, will be at Wembley, while his father, former Argentine defender Carlos, will be watching the match at home. “He’s always watching the matches and always saying something, not always positive!” says Mac Allister, whose older brothers Francis and Kevin also turn pro. “But it helps me and my siblings a lot because I like it when a person is so honest. I spoke to him the day before the Luton game and he told me to do it. He knew this was a very important game for me and the club for the rest of the season. His advice was to give 100% and do everything.” His son and Liverpool oblige.