Argentina Survive Another Scare, Beat Switzerland 3-1 in Extra Time to Reach World Cup 2026 Semifinals
Lionel Messi and Argentina are through to the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a tense 3-1 extra time win over Switzerland in the last quarterfinal of the tournament, played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
It was yet another knockout stage where Argentina made things harder for themselves than they needed to, but once again they found a way through when it mattered most.
How the Match Unfolded
Argentina made the perfect start. In the 10th minute, Alexis Mac Allister rose highest at the back post to head home a cross from Messi, giving the defending champions an early lead and settling the nerves inside the stadium.
Switzerland, who had not trailed once in the entire tournament before this game, needed time to find their rhythm, but they eventually did. In the 67th minute, Dan Ndoye was slipped through by Ricardo Rodriguez and calmly rolled the ball under Emiliano Martinez to level the score. The goal was a fair reflection of Switzerland’s growing control in midfield, where Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler had begun to dictate the tempo.
With the score level at 1-1, both sides made a flurry of substitutions to freshen up their legs heading into the closing stages, and neither side managed to find a breakthrough in normal time, sending the match into extra time.
The turning point came late in the second half of extra time. Switzerland’s night took a further hit when Breel Embolo was shown a second yellow card and sent off after a video review ruled he had gone down looking for a foul rather than being genuinely fouled, leaving Switzerland to play the closing stretch a man down.
Argentina made the extra man count. In the 112th minute, Julian Alvarez restored Argentina’s lead, finally ending a quiet tournament in front of goal with a crucial strike at the perfect time. Argentina then added a third goal in the dying moments of extra time to make the scoreline safe and confirm a 3-1 win.
Key Numbers From the Game
Argentina dominated possession with 59 percent of the ball and had 23 total shots compared to Switzerland’s 13. They also had the edge in corners, 8 to 2, though they gave away more free kicks in dangerous areas. Switzerland’s discipline slipped as the game wore on, picking up a red card in extra time to go with an earlier yellow, while Argentina finished with three yellow cards of their own.
What This Means for Argentina
This result extends Argentina’s unbeaten run at the World Cup to 11 matches since 2022, and keeps alive their bid to become the first nation in more than 60 years to win back-to-back World Cup titles. It has not been a smooth run through the knockout stages. Argentina needed extra time to see off Cape Verde, came from two goals down late on to beat Egypt, and now needed extra time again to get past a stubborn Switzerland side.
Messi, who leads the tournament’s Golden Boot race, continues to be the difference-maker even in games where the rest of Argentina’s attack has struggled to click. Julian Alvarez’s goal in extra time will be a relief for a forward who had gone quiet in front of goal for most of the tournament.
What This Means for Switzerland
For Switzerland, this was their first World Cup quarterfinal appearance since 1954, and they will leave the tournament with plenty of credit. Murat Yakin’s side had not lost or even trailed at any point in the tournament before this game, built on a disciplined defensive structure marshalled by Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, and goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. Missing their standout young talent Johan Manzambi for a second straight match clearly limited their attacking threat, and without him Switzerland struggled to create the kind of chances that might have troubled Argentina’s defense earlier in the game.
Argentina now move on to the semifinals, continuing their pursuit of a second consecutive World Cup title.
