Argentina Eliminate Switzerland 3-1, Set Up Semi-Final Clash With England

KANSAS CITY: Julian Alvarez scored a stunning goal as Argentina came from behind to defeat 10-man Switzerland 3-1 after extra time, thus booking an epic semi-final showdown against England at the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina fans dominated most of the seating at Arrowhead Stadium and began celebrating as early as the 10th minute when captain Lionel Messi created an opportunity for Alexis Mac Allister to open the scoring.

However, Switzerland equalised in the second half through Dan Ndoye before misfortune struck when Breel Embolo was shown a red card after receiving a second yellow card for simulation.

The match was forced into extra time and Switzerland held off wave after wave of Argentina attacks until Alvarez produced a moment of magic, curling a shot into the top corner in the 112th minute.

Lautaro Martinez then completed Argentina’s victory with a third goal late in the match.

The hard-fought win for Lionel Scaloni’s side ensured that the top four ranked teams in the FIFA World Rankings will battle it out in the semi-finals of this tournament.

Argentina are now unbeaten in their last 12 World Cup matches as they chase a second consecutive title, something only achieved by Brazil in 1962.

The defending champions cruised through the group stage but faced difficulties in overcoming Cape Verde and needed a remarkable comeback to get past Egypt.

The match against Switzerland once again proved to be a physical test for Argentina as their opponents chased a first-ever World Cup semi-final appearance.

Argentina opened the scoring with their first shot on target when Mac Allister headed in Messi’s corner kick, outjumping Djibril Sow and Embolo.

That goal saw Messi record 10 assists across six World Cup editions, while he remains tied at the top of the goalscoring charts with eight goals alongside France striker Kylian Mbappe.

However, Messi failed to add to his goal tally in this match, reported Harian Metro.

Switzerland struggled to create chances but almost equalised in the 30th minute when Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez rushed out to deny Embolo’s attempt.

Argentina failed to add another shot on target before halftime, with Switzerland actually enjoying more possession than the world champions.

The second half started slowly before Switzerland increased the pressure and earned their equaliser in the 67th minute through Ndoye, who finished off a clever pass from Ricardo Rodriguez.

However, just five minutes later, Switzerland made a costly error when Embolo, who had already received a yellow card in the first half, deliberately went down and was sent off after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.

Argentina came close to scoring a winner when Mac Allister’s header went wide with the goal gaping, while Messi also curled an effort just wide of the target.

Switzerland held on until the end of 90 minutes to force extra time.

They continued to withstand wave after wave of Argentina attacks in the first half of extra time, but their resistance eventually crumbled through Alvarez’s wonder goal.

The victory was celebrated by the entire Argentina camp before Lautaro Martinez added a third goal minutes later.

Argentina will now turn their attention to the challenge of England in Atlanta early Thursday morning after Thomas Tuchel’s side eliminated Norway 2-1 after extra time.

The clash between England and Argentina is always steeped in history and controversy, overshadowed by the sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas.

At the 1986 World Cup, Argentina beat England 2-1 at the Azteca Stadium through two goals from legend Diego Maradona – the controversial ‘Hand of God’ goal and a solo effort considered among the greatest of all time.

Both teams have met twice more in the World Cup since then.

Argentina won on penalties in 1998 before England gained their revenge four years later.

Media Selangor