Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez struck in extra time as Argentina beat 10-man Switzerland 3-1 to reach the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, reports London Daily News Desk
Argentina produced a clinical extra-time display to defeat 10-man Switzerland 3-1 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals on Saturday, setting up a mouth-watering semi-final against England after a fiercely contested battle at Kansas City Stadium.
Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez struck in extra time to break Swiss resistance after the European side had forced the contest beyond regulation time despite playing the closing stages with 10 men.
The victory also extended Argentina’s remarkable scoring run to 15 consecutive FIFA World Cup matches. Only Uruguay (16 matches from 1930-1962), Hungary (17 matches from 1934-1962), Germany (18 matches from 1934-1958 and again from 1986-1998) and Brazil (18 matches from 1930-1958) have recorded longer scoring streaks in the tournament.
Lionel Scaloni’s men made an ideal start by taking the lead in the 10th minute. Lionel Messi delivered an inviting corner from the left and Alexis Mac Allister rose above the Swiss defence to head the ball into the net, giving Argentina an early 1-0 advantage.
The opening goal, however, did little to open up the contest. Both teams engaged in a physical midfield battle for much of the first half, limiting clear-cut opportunities and ensuring Argentina carried only a slender lead into the interval.
Switzerland emerged with renewed purpose after the break and began putting Argentina under sustained pressure. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was called into action twice, making important saves to preserve his side’s lead before the Swiss finally found the breakthrough.
Dan Ndoye combined neatly with a teammate on the edge of the penalty area before curling a composed finish beyond Martinez to level the score at 1-1, giving Switzerland renewed belief.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the 72nd minute when Breel Embolo was shown a second yellow card following a VAR review for diving in midfield, reducing Switzerland to 10 players for the remainder of the contest.
Argentina seized control with the numerical advantage, dominating possession and pinning Switzerland deep inside their own half. Scaloni’s side came within inches of restoring their lead late in normal time when Lisandro Martinez attempted a spectacular bicycle kick, only for Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to produce an outstanding save.
Despite Argentina’s pressure, Switzerland held firm to force the match into extra time.
The deadlock was finally broken when Julian Alvarez produced a moment of quality. Cutting in from the left, the forward created space before unleashing a powerful strike from outside the penalty area that flew into the top corner, leaving Kobel with no chance and restoring Argentina’s lead.
Switzerland pushed numbers forward in a final attempt to rescue the contest, but the South Americans delivered the decisive blow on the counter-attack. Lautaro Martinez reacted quickest after a rebound fell kindly inside the penalty area, calmly tapping into an empty net to seal a 3-1 victory.
The win sends Argentina into the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, where they will renew their rivalry with England at Atlanta Stadium on Thursday in one of the tournament’s most anticipated fixtures.
