Dhaka, July 12, 2026 (BSS): Argentina secured their place in the World Cup semi-finals by defeating 10-man Switzerland 3-1 with two goals in extra time. Their opponents in the last four will be England.
Argentina took the lead in extra time thanks to a brilliant goal from Julian Alvarez. The match had been drawn 1-1 in regular time.The South American giants’ sky-blue fans gave the match an extra atmosphere in Kansas City. Argentina took the lead in the 10th minute through Alexis McAllister, assisted by Lionel Messi. Switzerland equalized midway through the second half through Dan Ndoe. But shortly after, the Swiss were reduced to 10 men when Brill Embolo was sent off for a second yellow card. But in the end, Switzerland, with one man down, managed to contain Argentina’s attack.The match eventually went into extra time to decide the outcome. The Swiss defense held off Argentina’s attacks one after another, but Alvarez’s curling shot finally sent the entire stadium into raptures in the 112th minute. Lautaro Martinez added another goal in the dying moments.Lionel Scaloni’s hard-earned victory at Arrowhead Stadium confirmed one thing: the top four teams in the FIFA rankings will advance to the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup.This means Argentina are undefeated in their last 12 matches at the World Cup. The Albiceleste now have a chance to match Brazil’s record of two consecutive World Cup wins in 1962.The South American team dominated the group stage but faced a series of tough matches in the knockout stages. They were unable to win easily against smaller team Cape Verde, before narrowly escaping defeat in the last 16 against Egypt.The Swiss were once again put to the test in Saturday’s quarter-final. Switzerland entered the field with the dream of playing in the semi-finals for the first time in the World Cup.Argentina took the lead on the first attack. In the 10th minute, Liverpool midfielder Mac Allister rose high between two defenders from Messi’s corner and headed the ball into the net. This brought Messi’s total of assists in six World Cups to 10 in his career.Switzerland were unable to capitalize on the counterattack, but goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez somehow saved a shot from Embolo off the line.Argentina failed to take any more shots on target before the break. Instead, Switzerland were ahead of the world champions in ball possession and passing.The match did not show much momentum at the beginning of the second half. However, as time passed, Murat Yakin’s team found a rhythm in their game. They were rewarded in the 67th minute.Dan Ndoe equalized for Switzerland with a brilliant finish from Ricardo Rodriguez’s excellent pass.Five minutes later, Switzerland were at a huge disadvantage. Brill Embolo, who had been booked in the first half, fell to the ground after committing a deliberate foul. He was shown a second yellow card after a VAR review.Mac Allister missed an easy chance and Messi’s curling shot also went just wide of the post. However, Switzerland were able to hold on to the equaliser in the end and take the match to extra time.The Swiss successfully repelled Argentina’s attacks one after another in the first half of extra time.But in the end, Switzerland’s brave resistance was broken by the extraordinary skill of Julian Alvarez.
After Lautaro Martinez’s goal a few minutes later, the Swiss had nothing left to do.
Argentina now face a tougher test. Thomas Tuchel’s England beat Norway 2-1 in the first quarter-final of the day on Saturday, setting the stage for the two superpowers to clash in the semi-finals in Atlanta on Wednesday.
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