Argentina outlasted Switzerland 3-1 after extra time to punch their ticket to the 2026 World Cup semifinals. Playing in front of a packed Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, the reigning champions needed 112 minutes to break a grueling deadlock. Julián Álvarez finally delivered the knockout blow.
The victory sets up a high-stakes semifinal clash against historic rival England in Atlanta. It also extends Argentina’s unbeaten World Cup streak to 12 consecutive matches. They are now just two wins away from becoming the first nation to successfully defend a World Cup title since Brazil did it in 1962.
Things started exactly to script for the South Americans. Just 10 minutes into the match, Lionel Messi delivered a pinpoint corner kick. Alexis Mac Allister met it with a clean header to open the scoring. That play marked Messi’s 10th career assist across six different World Cups. But a secondary streak snapped. Messi failed to find the back of the net himself, ending his run of scoring in seven straight World Cup knockout games.
Switzerland refused to fold. After absorbing heavy pressure, they found an equalizer in the 66th minute. Dan Ndoye finished off a slick counterattack following a one-two passing sequence with Ricardo Rodríguez.
Then the match flipped completely. In the 72nd minute, Swiss forward Breel Embolo went down under a challenge from Leandro Paredes. The referee initially whistled for an Argentina foul. But a VAR review overturned the call. The officials ruled it simulation, and according to a 101 Great Goals report, Embolo was issued a second yellow card and sent off.
Playing down a man, the Swiss defense held the line until deep into extra time. But the pressure eventually cracked them. In the 112th minute, Álvarez unleashed a stunning, long-distance curling strike that buried itself in the top corner of the net. Lautaro Martinez added a final insurance goal on a fast break in the closing seconds to seal the 3-1 result.
The loss is a bitter end for Switzerland. It erases a lengthy unbeaten run that stretched all the way back to the start of their qualifying campaign. And it denies them what would have been the first World Cup semifinal appearance in their nation’s history.