Argentina are through, but they didn’t make it easy on themselves. Ten-man Switzerland pushed the defending champions all the way to extra time before Julian Alvarez found the top corner from 25 yards and Lautaro Martinez added a third in the dying seconds, sealing a 3-1 win at Kansas City Stadium that sets up a semi-final against England on Wednesday.
For most of the night it looked like anything but a routine night at the office. Alexis Mac Allister headed Argentina in front inside ten minutes, meeting a Messi cross, and for a while the champions looked comfortable enough. Switzerland had other ideas, though, and Dan Ndoye’s close-range finish in the 67th minute levelled things up and turned Kansas City into a genuinely nervy place to be an Argentina fan.
Then came the moment that changed everything. Breel Embolo was sent off in the 72nd minute for a second yellow, VAR stepping in to overturn what had originally been booked as a foul by Argentina’s Leandro Paredes — a case of mistaken identity, and a big talking point afterward. Down to ten men, Switzerland somehow held on through normal time and deep into extra time before Argentina’s quality finally told.
Argentina Ahead Early, Switzerland Hit Back
Messi set the tone inside ten minutes, whipping in a cross that Mac Allister met with a header few keepers were saving. Early goal, home crowd of sorts behind them given how many Argentina fans had made the trip, and it looked like it might be a comfortable evening.
It wasn’t. Switzerland, organised as they’ve been all tournament, kept their shape and waited for their moment. It came in the 67th minute, Ndoye finishing from close range to make it 1-1 and giving Murat Yakin’s side genuine belief they could pull off the upset of the tournament. Argentina had chances before and after — Lisandro Martinez flung himself at a loose ball with almost the last kick of normal time, a scissor-kick that didn’t have quite enough on it to beat Gregor Kobel — but Switzerland refused to buckle even after losing Embolo to that red card.
There was late drama before the whistle too. Messi went through one-on-one and chipped the keeper, only for the assistant’s flag to go up for offside. Replays afterward suggested it might actually have been onside, which would have made it Messi’s ninth goal of the tournament in just six appearances. Instead, the sides went to extra time locked at 1-1, Switzerland somehow still in it with ten men on the pitch.
Extra Time: Alvarez and Lautaro Finish It
Argentina huffed and puffed but couldn’t find a way through for long stretches of the additional 30 minutes — credit to Switzerland, who defended like a team with everything still to play for despite the numerical disadvantage. Then, in the 112th minute, Alvarez took matters into his own hands. Picked up the ball around 25 yards out and just hit it, no real backlift, and it flew into the top corner before Kobel could react. The kind of goal that decides World Cup quarter-finals.
Switzerland had to throw men forward after that, ten men or not, chasing an equaliser they probably knew wasn’t coming but had to try for anyway. That left gaps at the back, and Argentina punished it in the most ruthless way possible. Deep into stoppage time, Thiago Almada drove at the tired Swiss defence, his shot deflecting kindly into the path of Lautaro Martinez, who made no mistake. 3-1. Game over, really.
Alvarez ended up the headline act with that strike, but this was as much about Argentina’s composure once Switzerland were down to ten men, and about a Swiss side that made Scaloni’s team work for absolutely everything despite the man disadvantage. Mac Allister’s early header set things rolling, and Messi’s fingerprints were all over both the opener and the disputed offside call that could’ve made this a much more comfortable night far earlier.
What’s Next
Argentina now face England in the semi-final on Wednesday in Atlanta, with Thomas Tuchel’s side having needed their own extra-time win over Norway to get there. On the other side of the draw, Spain play France on Tuesday — a repeat of the 2022 final that Argentina won. Only Italy and Brazil have ever defended a World Cup title, and after two extra-time slogs already in the knockout rounds, this defence of the crown is proving anything but straightforward for Scaloni’s side.
Match Facts
- Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026, Quarter-Final
- Date: Saturday, 11 July 2026
- Venue: Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium), Kansas City, Missouri
- Final Score: Argentina 3-1 Switzerland (after extra time)
- Goal Scorers: Mac Allister 10′, Alvarez 112′, Lautaro Martinez 120+’ (Argentina); Ndoye 67′ (Switzerland)
- Red Card: Breel Embolo (Switzerland), 72′
Conclusion
Argentina got there in the end, but Switzerland made them earn every minute of it, even with ten men for the better part of an hour. Messi’s still doing Messi things, Alvarez proved he can win a game on his own, and now the reigning champions face England for a place in the final. After two extra-time battles already in this knockout run, nothing about this Argentina team suggests they’re planning on making the next one any easier either.
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Match data via FIFA’s official match centre.
