Defending World Cup champion Argentina once again proved why champions are never easy to eliminate. Julián Álvarez delivered the decisive moment in the 112th minute with a stunning long-range strike before Lautaro Martínez added a goal in the closing seconds of extra time as Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 on Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium, securing a place in the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The final score flattered Argentina after another tense knockout battle, with Lionel Scaloni’s side once again needing extra time to survive. Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring early off a perfectly delivered Lionel Messi corner kick, while Switzerland battled back before Argentina’s superior quality eventually shone through.
With the victory, Argentina advances to face England in Wednesday’s semifinal in Atlanta after the Three Lions defeated Norway 2-1 earlier in the day. On the other side of the bracket, France will meet Spain, marking the first time in World Cup history that the top four teams in the FIFA rankings have all reached the semifinals.
Argentina’s road through the knockout stage has been anything but comfortable. After requiring extra time to edge tournament newcomer Cape Verde and producing a dramatic comeback from a 2-0 deficit against Egypt in the Round of 16, La Albiceleste once again found themselves in a nail-biting affair.
But champions consistently discover ways to survive. This victory extended Argentina’s unbeaten run in World Cup play to 12 matches as they continue their pursuit of consecutive world titles.
Playing before another overwhelmingly pro-Argentina crowd in Kansas City, where the team has been based throughout the tournament, Messi wasted little time electrifying the fans.
Although his remarkable nine-game World Cup scoring streak came to an end, the Argentine captain remained instrumental in attack.
After showcasing his trademark footwork to earn an early corner kick, Messi whipped in a dangerous delivery that Mac Allister met perfectly, heading home to give Argentina a 1-0 advantage.
The assist kept Messi influential despite being denied a goal, and his tournament tally of eight goals remains tied with France’s Kylian Mbappé for the Golden Boot lead.
Switzerland, making its first World Cup quarterfinal appearance since 1954, entered the contest having conceded only three goals through five matches.
Despite missing injured leading scorer Johan Manzambi, the Swiss displayed the disciplined defensive structure that had carried them this far.
Their persistence paid off midway through the second half.
After Emiliano Martínez had produced several outstanding saves to preserve Argentina’s lead, Ricardo Rodríguez threaded a beautiful pass into Dan Ndoye, who calmly finished in the 67th minute to level the match at 1-1.
Suddenly, the momentum belonged to Switzerland. The match’s defining controversy arrived moments after the equalizer. Leandro Paredes was initially shown a yellow card following a challenge involving Breel Embolo.
However, a VAR review revealed Embolo had fallen before any contact from Paredes occurred.
Using FIFA’s “mistaken identity” protocol, officials overturned the decision and instead issued Embolo a second yellow card for simulation, resulting in the Swiss striker being sent off.
Reduced to 10 men, Switzerland suddenly faced the daunting task of defending against the reigning champions for the remainder of regulation and extra time.
It marked only the second time during the tournament that FIFA’s mistaken identity protocol had been used to overturn a yellow card decision.
Even with the numerical advantage, Argentina struggled to find the breakthrough. Mac Allister narrowly missed with a late header in the 89th minute, while Messi came agonizingly close to restoring the lead in stoppage time, only to send his effort inches wide.
Extra time followed, and Switzerland’s exhausted defense continued to frustrate the South Americans.
Then came Álvarez’s moment of brilliance. Receiving the ball well outside the penalty area in the 112th minute, the Manchester City forward unleashed a spectacular strike that flew beyond the Swiss goalkeeper and into the net, igniting celebrations among the sea of Argentine supporters.
As Switzerland pushed desperately for another equalizer, Lautaro Martínez sealed the victory in the dying moments of extra time with a clinical finish that made the final score appear more comfortable than the match itself had been.
Argentina’s month-long stay in Kansas City has seen them win over thousands of American supporters while training at Sporting Kansas City’s facilities and delivering memorable performances, including Messi’s earlier hat trick against Algeria.
Saturday’s victory added another unforgettable chapter.
Played under cooling evening skies after a brutally hot and humid day, the tournament’s 100th match and the final quarterfinal provided all the drama expected from two determined sides.
Switzerland’s remarkable run comes to an end, leaving them still searching for their first-ever World Cup semifinal appearance. They also remain winless against Argentina in eight all-time meetings, including three World Cup encounters.
For Argentina, however, the dream of repeating as world champions remains alive.
Their resilience has been tested in every knockout match, yet each time they have found another hero.
This time it was Julián Álvarez, whose thunderous extra-time strike kept La Albiceleste marching toward another World Cup final and set up a blockbuster semifinal against England with a place in the championship match on the line.
