KANSAS CITY: Defending champions Argentina reached the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals after beating Switzerland 3-1 following extra time in a tense quarter-final at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday.
Lionel Scaloni’s side were made to work hard for another knockout victory, but late goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez ensured Argentina’s title defence continued.
Argentina made a fast start and took the lead in the 10th minute when Alexis Mac Allister headed home from a perfectly delivered Lionel Messi corner.
Switzerland responded strongly in the second half and equalised in the 67th minute through Dan Ndoye, who finished calmly to bring the European side back into the contest.
The match turned five minutes later when Breel Embolo was shown a red card after a Video Assistant Referee review, leaving Switzerland to play the rest of the game with 10 men.
Despite their numerical advantage, Argentina could not find a winner in normal time as Switzerland defended deep and forced the quarter-final into extra time.
Argentina eventually made the breakthrough when Alvarez restored their lead, before Martinez added a late third goal to seal the victory.
The result sends Argentina into a high-profile semi-final against England in Atlanta on Wednesday. England reached the last four after beating Norway 2-1 after extra time earlier in the day.
Argentina are now two wins away from retaining the World Cup title.
