Defending champions Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 after extra time on Saturday to book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinals, with Julian Alvarez's spectacular long-range strike breaking the deadlock in the 112th minute.
Argentina will now face England in the semifinals on Wednesday after the Three Lions defeated Norway 2-1 earlier in the day. Argentina made a bright start and took the lead in the 10th minute when Lionel Messi delivered a corner from the left and Alexis Mac Allister found the net to put the defending champions ahead.
Messi did not score in the match, bringing his nine-game World Cup scoring streak to an end, but still played a key role in Argentina's victory. Switzerland fought back and equalised through Dan Ndoye in the 67th minute. The contest changed dramatically a few minutes later following a VAR intervention involving Leandro Paredes and Breel Embolo.
Paredes was initially shown a yellow card for a challenge on Embolo. However, after a VAR review, officials ruled that Embolo had gone down before any contact was made. As Embolo had already been booked earlier in the match, the yellow card was transferred to him under FIFA's "mistaken identity" protocol.
The decision resulted in Embolo receiving his second booking and Switzerland being reduced to 10 men. It was only the second time in World Cup history that the "mistaken identity" rule had been used to overturn a yellow-card decision.
Alvarez Breaks Deadlock As Argentina Extend Unbeaten Run
Despite their numerical advantage, Argentina were unable to find a breakthrough in regulation time and had to wait until the 112th minute, when Alvarez struck brilliantly from distance to restore their lead. With Switzerland pushing for another equaliser, Lautaro Martinez scored deep into extra time to seal the 3-1 victory.
The win extended Argentina's unbeaten run at the FIFA World Cup to 12 matches and kept alive their hopes of retaining the trophy. The reigning champions have faced difficult tests throughout the knockout stages. They needed extra time to defeat Cape Verde before recovering from two goals down against Egypt in the Round of 16. Against Switzerland, they again found a way to win and advance.
Argentina's victory also means that the top four teams in the FIFA rankings , Argentina, England, France and Spain, have all reached the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. |
