Argentina’s road to the 2026 World Cup final just got a lot more interesting. The defending champions needed 120 grueling minutes to see off a stubborn Switzerland side in Kansas City, eventually winning 3-1 to book a mouthwatering semi-final against England on Wednesday in Atlanta.
It was another rollercoaster night for Lionel Scaloni’s team, who have now needed extra time in two of their last three knockout matches. This time, the hero was Julián Álvarez, who unleashed an unstoppable effort from well outside the box in the 112th minute to break Swiss resistance.
“We’re among the best four, so we’re meeting our objectives, and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Álvarez said afterward. “The whole match was hard, and we would have loved to have the win earlier, but we tried to get the win however we could.”
The contest started well for Argentina, with Alexis Mac Allister heading home a pinpoint Lionel Messi corner just ten minutes in. Switzerland, appearing in their first World Cup quarterfinal since 1954, settled into the game after the break and eventually found a leveler through Dan Ndoye, who slipped a finish past goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.
The turning point arrived soon after. Breel Embolo, already on a yellow card, was initially awarded a free kick following a challenge from Leandro Paredes. But a VAR review under the tournament’s newly introduced simulation protocol overturned the decision, and Embolo was shown a second yellow for diving, leaving Switzerland to play out the remainder of the match a man down.
Even reduced to ten men, the Swiss defense held firm deep into extra time, denying Argentina’s front line at every turn. It took a moment of individual brilliance from Álvarez to finally break the deadlock, and Lautaro Martínez added gloss to the scoreline in the closing seconds with a composed finish on the counterattack.
The result extends Argentina’s unbeaten World Cup run and sets up a first competitive meeting with England in 24 years, with the winner advancing to face either France or Spain in the final. England reached the semi-final earlier the same day with a 2-1 win over Norway.
For Messi, the semi-final represents another chance to add to his record World Cup goal tally as he chases a second title with Argentina.
