Argentina beats Switzerland in extra time to reach World Cup semifinals

Argentina's bid to become the first modern team to retain the World Cup title survived its toughest test yet, as Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez scored deep in extra time for a 3-1 quarterfinal win over Switzerland in Kansas City, Missouri. The defending champion led early through Alexis Mac Allister, lost control after Dan Ndoye pulled Switzerland level, then watched the match turn again when Breel Embolo was sent off for simulation in the 72nd minute.

Argentina looked set to manage the game from there, but Switzerland kept forcing the issue until the 90 minutes expired at 1-1. Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 10th minute, finishing a move started by Lionel Messi, whose assist kept his role central even as his own World Cup scoring streak ended in the match. Ndoye answered in the 67th minute, briefly giving Switzerland belief that it could extend a run that had already pushed Argentina into a third straight knockout match full of late tension.

The decisive stretch came in extra time, where Argentina finally converted its advantage into goals. Álvarez broke the deadlock in the 112th minute with a long-range strike, a goal that restored Argentina's control after a long spell of pressure and uncertainty. Lautaro Martínez then finished the job in the 120th minute plus one, putting the match out of reach and sending Argentina into another semifinal with the kind of late, individual brilliance that has carried much of its tournament.

The result set up a high-profile semifinal against England on Wednesday, July 16, 2026, in Atlanta. It also revived a familiar piece of history: Argentina had last beaten Switzerland in a World Cup knockout match in 2014, when Ángel Di María decided a 1-0 win in the 118th minute in São Paulo. Twelve years later, the margin was wider, but the script was just as severe, with Argentina again forced to prove that its championship credentials rest not only on talent, but on the composure to survive long stretches of discomfort and the depth to finish when the game finally opens.