Argentina survive Swiss scare in extra time to set up World Cup semi-final with England

Argentina through after extra-time struggle

Argentina reached the World Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 victory over Switzerland after extra time at Kansas City Stadium, setting up a clash with England in Atlanta on 15 July. The reigning champions were pushed to the limit by a disciplined Swiss side. Alexis Mac Allister headed the Albiceleste in front from a Lionel Messi corner in the 10th minute, but Dan Ndoye's 68th-minute equaliser reflected the balance of play. The match turned in the 72nd minute when Breel Embolo received a second yellow card for simulation after a VAR review by Portuguese referee Joao Pedro Pinheiro. Julian Alvarez broke the deadlock in the 112th minute with a curling right-footed shot into the top corner. Lautaro Martinez sealed the win in the 121st minute, tapping in a rebound after Gregory Kobel saved from Thiago Almada.

Switzerland push champions to the limit

Murat Yakin's Switzerland controlled long stretches of the contest. They conceded early when Mac Allister, listed at 176 centimetres, outjumped the Swiss defence to meet Messi's corner at the near post. The Europeans responded through Djibril Sow, who forced Emiliano Martinez into a save on 20 minutes, and continued to press through the first half. Ndoye drew a sharp save from Martinez in the 65th minute before equalising three minutes later, finishing a neat combination with Ricardo Rodriguez. Switzerland remained compact even after falling behind and did not look likely to concede again until the numerical disadvantage took its toll.

Una Seleccion sottotono soffre e la spunta 3-1 ai supplementari su una Svizzera solida e concreta.

VAR reversal and Embolo red card

A pivotal moment arrived in the 73rd minute. Pinheiro initially booked Argentina's Leandro Paredes for a foul on Embolo, but after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor he rescinded the yellow card and instead showed Embolo a second caution for simulation. The forward had been booked in the first half for a heavy challenge on the same player. Switzerland played the remaining 48 minutes of normal and extra time with 10 men. Despite the man advantage, Argentina struggled to raise the tempo and created few clear chances before the interval in extra time.

Alvarez and Martinez deliver

With the match drifting toward penalties, Alvarez produced the decisive moment in the 112th minute. Receiving the ball near the edge of the area, the Atletico Madrid striker whipped a shot beyond Kobel into the far corner. Switzerland threw players forward in desperation and were caught on the counter-attack deep into added time. Almada's effort was parried by Kobel but Martinez was first to the rebound, scoring his second goal of the USA-Mexico-Canada 2026 tournament. Argentina had previously beaten Cape Verde and Egypt in tight knockout matches, showing a pattern of grinding out results.

England await in Atlanta

Argentina now face England in the semi-finals on Wednesday 15 July at 9pm local time in Atlanta. England reached the last four by beating Norway 2-1 after extra time in Miami, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice. The fixture revives a World Cup rivalry that stretches back 40 years to Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' goal and his solo second in Mexico 1986. For Lionel Messi, it represents an opportunity to take another step toward defending the title won in Qatar. Lautaro Martinez's two goals in the tournament make him the only Argentine aside from Messi to score more than once at this edition.