Argentina beats Switzerland in extra time to reach World Cup semifinals

Argentina needed extra time, a VAR reversal and late strikes from Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez to beat Switzerland 3-1 and move into the World Cup semifinals in Kansas City. The result sent Lionel Scaloni’s team into a Wednesday meeting with England in Atlanta, while extending Argentina’s unbeaten run in World Cup play to 12 matches.

Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 10th minute, but Dan Ndoye pulled Switzerland level in the 67th and turned the match into a grind that tested Argentina far more than the score line suggested. FIFA said the game was the 100th of the expanded 2026 World Cup, and it was also the kind of night that showed how quickly Argentina could be pushed off balance despite its status as defending champion.

The turning point came in the 72nd minute, when Breel Embolo was sent off after a VAR review under the protocol for mistaken identity. The review corrected an earlier yellow card shown to Leandro Paredes, and Switzerland’s chances narrowed immediately. Nico Elvedi said afterward, “I just don’t understand how VAR can make that kind of decision,” capturing the frustration inside a Swiss side that had reached its first World Cup quarterfinal since 1954 and was still chasing its first semifinal.

Argentina, by contrast, kept finding decisive moments. Álvarez scored in the 112th minute and Martínez sealed the result with a goal in the 120th minute plus one, giving Argentina its 15th consecutive World Cup match with a goal. FIFA named Álvarez the Player of the Match, and he said, “We’re among the best four, so we’re meeting our objectives...”

The victory carried a different meaning beyond the bracket. Scaloni praised the effort of a team that had to absorb pressure before its finishing power finally took over, and the reactions from Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez, José Manuel López and Leandro Paredes reflected a squad relieved to advance but aware of the warning signs. Switzerland, which still has not beaten Argentina in eight meetings, spent much of the night forcing the pace and nearly dragged the match deeper into uncertainty before Argentina’s quality broke it open.