- Argentina vs Switzerland: La Albiceleste edge past stubborn Swiss 3-1 after extra time to book their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinals.
- Alvarez restored Argentina’s lead in the 112th minute with a moment of brilliance before Martinez added a late third to seal the victory.
- The reigning champions will face England in Wednesday’s semifinal at Atlanta Stadium.
For the umpteenth time, Argentina found a way to survive at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, requiring another dramatic late intervention to beat 10-man Switzerland 3-1 after extra time on Sunday morning in Kansas City and secure a place in the semifinals.
The defending champions have made a habit of doing things the hard way. They needed extra time to edge Cape Verde 3-2 before producing a stunning comeback frpm two goals down to eliminate Egypt by the same scoreline in the Round of 16.
Against Switzerland, Lionel Scaloni’s men were again forced to dig deep despite their opponents playing with 10 men for the closing stages.
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Alexis Mac Allister handed Argentina an early lead before Dan Ndoye drew Switzerland level in the second half.
Julian Alvarez restored Argentina’s advantage in the 112th minute with a moment of brilliance, while Lautaro Martinez added a late third to seal victory and set up a semifinal showdown against England on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Argentina should have been comfortably ahead long before the breakthrough after wasting several clear-cut chances, but they finally made their pressure count in the 10th minute.
Lionel Messi delivered a teasing inswinging corner from the left, and Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister rose above his marker to power a header into the net for the opening goal.
Switzerland, however, refused to back down and responded with purpose after the break.
Nottingham Forest winger Ndoye combined brilliantly with Ricardo Rodriguez on the left before receiving the return pass, taking a composed touch, and curling an excellent finish beyond Emiliano Martinez into the far corner to level the contest.
The turning point arrived in the 72nd minute. Breel Embolo went to ground under minimal contact and appealed for a foul, but Leandro Paredes immediately protested.
Following a VAR review,, the referee overturned the initial decision, ruled there had been no foul, and instead booked Embolo for simulation.
Already on a yellow card, the Swiss striker received his marching orders after being shown a second yellow, leaving Switzerland to finish the match with 10 men
Despite their numerical advantage, Argentina still had to wait until extra time to finally break Switzerland’s resistance.
In the 112th minute, Julian Alvarez collected the ball around 25 yards from goal before curling a magnificent effort into the top far corner for his first goal of the tournament. It was a strike worthy of winning any match.
Lautaro Martinez then put the result beyond doubt just minutes before the final whistle, calmly finishing off a swift counterattack to complete a 3-1 victory.
The win sends Argentina into the semifinals and keeps alive their hopes of successfully defending the World Cup title, with only two matches now separating them from another historic triumph.
Argentina vs Switzerland – 2026 FIFA World Cup Lineups
- Argentina: E. Martinez; Molina, Romero, Li. Martinez, Tagliafico; Paredes; De Paul, Mac Allister, Fernandez; Messi, Alvarez.
- Substitutes: Almada, Barco, Gonzalez, Lo Celso, Lopez, La. Martinez, Medina, Montiel, Musso, Otamendi, Palacios, Paz, Rulli, Senesi, Simeone.
- Switzerland: Kobel; Zakaria, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez; Freuler, Xhaka; Rieder, Sow, Ndoye; Embolo.
- Substitutes: Aebischer, Amdouni, Amenda, Comert, Fassnacht, Itten, Jaquez, Jashari, Keller, Muheim, Mvogo, Okafor, Vargas, Widmer.
Read more about other World Cup teams in 2026 below:
Morocco national football team 2026
Argentina national football team 2026
Mexico national football team 2026
Spain national football team 2026
Brazil national football team 2026
France national football team 2026
Senegal national football team 2026