World Cup 2026: Argentina Beats Switzerland 3-1 to Reach Semifinals

Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 in the quarterfinals at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas, advancing to the semifinals, where they will face England on July 15.

In the early minutes of the match, Switzerland's defense seemed like a serious but passable obstacle for Lionel Scaloni's team. Alexis Mac Allister took advantage of Lionel Messi's excellent cross from the corner and scored the first goal - 1:0.

Switzerland's coach Murat Yakin prefers to play attacking football, but the high level of responsibility in the competition took its toll: Switzerland entered a path of great doubts in the playoffs and surrendered to the pragmatism typical of top teams.

After the break, Argentina's team tried to put pressure on the Swiss again, trying to get them into their own half. The Swiss, on the other hand, began to counterattack and eventually entered Argentina's territory - at first with small reconnaissance groups, and later with increasing determination.

In the 67th minute, Dan Ndoye escaped from Nauel Molina on the left flank, passed to Ricardo Rodriguez, and scored the equalizing goal, 1:1, past Emiliano Martinez, who had his hands up in the air.

In the 72nd minute, Swiss striker Breel Embolo fell to the ground after a collision with Leandro Paredes, known for his provocations on the field. However, VAR's all-seeing eye noted that the Argentine player had a legitimate continuation. Portuguese referee Joao Pedro Pinheiro watched the monitor for a moment and showed a yellow card, which turned into a red card for Embolo.

Almost nothing changed in extra time, and the match was inevitably heading towards a penalty shootout. In the 112th minute, Lionel Messi regained his youthful speed and found the strength to strike. His shot was parried by Gregor Kobel, but Julian Alvarez remembered his scoring ability - the ball landed in the far corner of the goal, in a way that would have been impossible to save even with two goalkeepers - 2:1.

After that, Switzerland could not recover. Their attempts to equalize ended in a counterattack goal - Lautaro Martinez set the final score: 3:1.