Argentina have secured their place in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals after a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Switzerland in Kansas City. The match, which went into extra time, was decided by a stunning long-range strike from Julian Alvarez and a late goal from Lautaro Martinez. Lionel Messi took to Instagram to celebrate the win, praising his teammates for their resilience.
Early Lead and Swiss Response
Argentina took the lead inside 10 minutes when Alexis Mac Allister headed home from a corner, after being found by Lionel Messi. Switzerland, despite early momentum, struggled to capitalise on their opportunities. Lisandro Martinez made two crucial defensive interventions to deny Breel Embolo.
Switzerland equalised through Dan Ndoye, who combined with Ricardo Rodriguez and finished from a narrow angle. However, their joy was short-lived as a VAR review under the new mistaken identity protocol led to Embolo receiving a second yellow card for simulation, reducing Switzerland to 10 men.
Extra Time Decider
With the score tied at 1-1 after regular time, the match went into extra time. Switzerland held firm for the first 15 minutes, but Julian Alvarez then settled the contest with a 25-yard strike that nestled into the top right corner. According to Sofascore, Lautaro Martinez added a third in the closing stages to confirm Argentina's passage to the semi-finals.
Messi, who completed 60 of his 69 attempted passes, shared a message on Instagram: 'We had to suffer once again but this team never stops believing. We're now among the top 4 in the world again!!! Let's f*cking go!!!!'
Semi-Final Showdown
Argentina will now face England in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 15, with a place in the final against either France or Spain at stake. This will be the first competitive encounter between the two nations in 24 years, setting up one of the most anticipated semi-final fixtures in recent World Cup history.
