Argentina are through to the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup after a bruising extra-time win over Switzerland, setting up a heavyweight clash with England in Atlanta.
The reigning champions took an early lead in Kansas City when Alexis Mac Allister headed in a Lionel Messi corner just ten minutes into the match. From there, though, Argentina’s attack stalled for long stretches, and Switzerland grew into the game, eventually drawing level in the 67th minute through a well-worked Dan Ndoye finish.
The turning point arrived a minute later. Breel Embolo was shown a second yellow card after a VAR review overturned an initial foul call, ruling that the Swiss forward had gone down without contact. The decision reduced Switzerland to ten men and left Embolo in tears, though it also meant Argentina had to work hard against a resilient, well-organized defense that pushed the match into extra time.
The breakthrough finally came in the 112th minute, when Julian Alvarez curled a stunning 25-yard strike beyond Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel for his first goal of the tournament. Lautaro Martinez sealed the 3-1 win in the 121st minute, finishing off a Swiss side that had matched Argentina for large parts of the contest despite playing a man down.
Messi didn’t find the net himself, but he added another milestone to his World Cup résumé, becoming the first player to reach 10 assists in tournament history. Argentina also extended a scoring streak that now stretches back through the competition’s history books.
For Switzerland, the defeat continues a difficult run in knockout football, having now lost six consecutive major-tournament matches once reaching the last eight.
Argentina will now face Thomas Tuchel’s England in the semifinal at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday, July 15, kicking off at 8:00 PM BST. The winner advances to the final, where they’ll meet the victor of Tuesday’s other semifinal between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas.
