Argentina's path to the 2026 World Cup throne grew stronger after securing their spot in the semifinals. In a dramatic quarterfinal clash at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, on Sunday (12/7/2026), Lionel Scaloni's side successfully defeated Switzerland 3-1 after extra time.
Just ten minutes into the match, Argentina opened the scoring through a sharp header by Alexis Mac Allister, capitalising on a corner kick from Lionel Messi. Although Switzerland put up a fierce resistance and equalised through Dan Ndoye in the 68th minute, the situation changed drastically after Breel Embolo was sent off following a second yellow card for simulation (diving), which was upheld by a VAR review.
Despite having a numerical advantage since the middle of the second half, Argentina only managed to break the deadlock of the Swiss defense in the 112th minute. Julián Álvarez unleashed a powerful strike from outside the penalty area to make it 2-1, before Lautaro Martínez sealed the victory for La Albiceleste with a goal in stoppage time. This victory sets up Argentina to face England in the semifinals, scheduled for July 16.
Behind the team's success, this match marked a personal milestone for Lionel Messi. His consecutive goal-scoring streak in the World Cup, which had lasted for nine matches since the 2022 edition, finally came to an end against the Swiss defense. However, the captain still made a crucial contribution with an assist, making him the player with the record for the most assists in tournament history with 10, surpassing the milestone of German legend Fritz Walter.
