Álvarez reflects on Argentina's win over Switzerland, eyes England semifinal

Julián Álvarez pushed Argentina into the World Cup semifinals with the decisive goal in a 3-1 extra-time win over Switzerland in Kansas City, then turned the focus immediately to the pressure of defending a title and the noise building around the squad online. With two matches left, Argentina now faces England on Wednesday at Atlanta Stadium in a semifinal that carries the weight of a long rivalry and a defending champion’s expectations.

Argentina had to work through a tense quarterfinal after Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 10th minute, only for Dan Ndoye to level for Switzerland in the 67th. The match swung again when Breel Embolo was sent off in the 72nd minute for a second yellow card, awarded for simulation, and Argentina finally made the numerical edge count in extra time. Álvarez struck in the 112th minute, and Lautaro Martínez sealed it in the 120th minute plus one.

FIFA named Álvarez the Player of the Match, and the governing body highlighted Argentina’s five straight wins in the tournament as part of its run through the knockout stage. It also noted that Mac Allister’s opening goal was the first time Switzerland had trailed in 17 hours and 10 minutes of game time across the competition. For Argentina, the result preserved a campaign that has leaned heavily on Lionel Messi as its attacking anchor while keeping Lionel Scaloni’s team on course for a second successive World Cup title.

The semifinal against England will put Argentina into one of the tournament’s most loaded fixtures, with both sides arriving in Atlanta after physically demanding quarterfinals. For Álvarez, the message after the win was less about celebration than management: Argentina has moved within one match of the final, but the scrutiny around the squad is not easing, and the emotional reset begins immediately.