Alvarez fires Argentina into World Cup semifinals with extra-time winner

Julián Álvarez sent Argentina into the World Cup semifinals with a 112th-minute strike that finally separated a tense quarter-final from Switzerland in Kansas City Stadium. The defending champions won 3-1 after extra time, surviving a match that stayed tight deep into the night before Álvarez broke a 1-1 deadlock. Switzerland finished with 10 men.

Argentina now carries its bid for a second straight World Cup title and a fourth overall into Wednesday, July 15, when it faces England in Atlanta. The result kept Lionel Scaloni’s side alive in a tournament that has already demanded long spells of pressure management, and it reinforced the narrow line between control and collapse at this stage of the competition.

The margin was especially stark because Argentina had already survived a major scare in the round of 16. Facing Egypt, Argentina came from 2-0 down and erased the deficit in 14 minutes, a turnaround that featured Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul, Nahuel Molina and Álvarez. That comeback set the tone for a knockout run that has repeatedly required late composure and immediate responses to pressure.

The quarter-final also underlined how exposed even the holders can be when matches drift beyond regulation. Switzerland had been aiming to make history of its own, and the game in Kansas City offered enough tension to keep that prospect alive until extra time. Álvarez’s finish ended that hope and made the difference in a contest FIFA described as a hard-fought victory for Argentina.

The World Cup itself is already breaking new ground. The 2026 tournament is the first to feature 48 teams and is being staged across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States, turning each knockout round into a test not just of talent but of endurance, travel and recovery. Argentina has now cleared another hurdle, but England in Atlanta will offer a sharper measure of whether the late rescue acts can carry all the way to another title.