Sports Desk, Daily Agrabarta
Defending champions Argentina have booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, beating a resilient Switzerland side 3-1 after extra time in a dramatic quarter-final at Kansas City Stadium. Alexis Mac Allister’s early header was cancelled out by Dan Ndoye in the second half, before a red card and two extra-time strikes from Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez finally broke Swiss resistance.
Mac Allister Header Puts Argentina Ahead Early
Argentina made the perfect start, taking the lead in just the 10th minute. Lionel Messi won an early corner with a piece of skillful wing play, and his delivery was met by Alexis Mac Allister, who powered a header past goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to send the Argentine fans inside Kansas City Stadium into raptures.
Switzerland Hit Back, Then Lose a Man
For long stretches after that, Switzerland refused to be brushed aside. Their disciplined defensive setup, marshalled by Manuel Akanji, held firm until the 67th minute, when Dan Ndoye finished off a low pass from Ricardo Rodríguez to level the score at 1-1 and silence the home support.
The momentum swing did not last long. Four minutes later, Breel Embolo was shown a second yellow card following a VAR review for simulation, reducing Switzerland to 10 men with almost 50 minutes still to play, including stoppage time. It proved to be the pivotal moment of the match. Despite being a man down, Switzerland’s back line, with goalkeeper Gregor Kobel outstanding throughout, somehow held out for the remainder of normal time, even producing a stunning late save to deny Lisandro Martínez in the dying seconds and force the game into extra time.
Álvarez and Martínez Finally Find the Breakthrough
Argentina’s extra numerical advantage eventually told. In the 112th minute, substitute Julián Álvarez received the ball from José Manuel López and curled a brilliant strike into the top corner to restore Argentina’s lead at 2-1. Switzerland, exhausted from over an hour of playing with 10 men, could not respond, and in the first minute of stoppage time at the end of extra time, Lautaro Martínez pounced on a rebound after Thiago Almada’s initial effort was saved, tapping home to make it 3-1 and end the contest as a contest.
Messi’s Record Night Continues
The win extended Lionel Messi’s remarkable current form at the tournament, with the Argentine captain having now scored or set up a goal in nine consecutive World Cup matches. At 39 years old, Messi continues to lead a squad that looked in real danger of a shock exit for large parts of the second half, only for their quality and extra man advantage to eventually see them through.
What’s Next for Argentina
Argentina will now face England in the second semi-final of the tournament, scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It sets up a mouth-watering rematch between two of international football’s fiercest historical rivals, with a place in the World Cup final on the line.
For Switzerland, the defeat brings an end to a tournament that had already seen them reach a first World Cup quarter-final in 72 years, a run built on defensive discipline that came agonisingly close to producing one more famous upset.
