Argentina Knocked Out Switzerland in Extra Time, Will Face England in the Semi-Final

In the 2026 World Cup quarter-final match, Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 with goals scored in the extra minutes and wrote its name into the semi-finals. In this tough match, which was played at Kansas City Stadium and witnessed great excitement, the national team managed to advance to the next round with the determined game it displayed. At this critical turning point where the flow of the game and the score constantly changed, Argentina strongly maintained its claim in the tournament. The highly accurate substitutions made by the team's head coach, Lionel Scaloni, paid off especially during the extra minutes. Considered one of the strongest teams in the championship, Argentina continues to intimidate all its opponents with this victory.

In the first half, where the mutual struggle began, Argentina took a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute of the match with a header goal from Alexis Mac Allister. Before this goal, Lionel Messi, who took the corner kick sent into the penalty area, used it highly accurately, putting his teammate in a goal-scoring position. However, after this early goal, Argentina failed to take complete control of the game and had to leave the ball to its opponent. Switzerland tried to build up play over long periods by holding the ball patiently and practically took control of the field. Despite this, the Swiss footballers struggled to break through the opposing defense and could not turn this long-term ball possession tactic into a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

In the second half, the outlook of the game did not change, and Switzerland found the equalizer they were looking for in the 22nd minute with Dan Ndoye. Receiving the reward of the pressing game they built for about 30 minutes, Switzerland concluded the attacking organization with a flawless passing network. Before this goal, Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez showed a great reflex and deflected the hard long-range shot of Swiss footballer Granit Xhaka to a corner. In the goal scored by Ndoye, the ball rapidly slipped through the legs of the Argentina goalie and hit the net. This equalizer brought an ever-increasing tension as the match approached its final minutes.

The fate of the match completely changed in the 27th minute of the second half when Breel Embolo received a red card. Following a foul on Argentina player Leandro Paredes, Embolo, who tried to mislead the referee in a position, received his second yellow card, leaving his team with 10 men. Wanting to capitalize on this advantage, Argentina Technical Director Scaloni brought on star players such as Lautaro Martinez, Nicolás Gonzalez, Gonzalo Montiel, and Thiago Almada. With a one-man advantage, Argentina took complete possession of the ball and laid siege to the opponent's goal. The Switzerland defense set up a very deep and compact block, resiliently holding on in regular time and causing the match to go to extra time.

In the extra minutes, Argentina's physical and numerical superiority became even more apparent, and the team launched attacks back and forth towards the Switzerland goal with an attacking football approach. Entering the second half of extra time, Julian Alvarez created the turning point of the match, making the score 2-1 with a magnificent shot sent into the corner from outside the penalty area. Finding gaps as they broke through the opponent's entire defensive block and pressed forward, Argentina carried the ball to Lautaro Martinez in a fast-developing counter-attack minutes before the end. With a composed strike, Martinez sent the ball into the net, setting the match score at 3-1 and writing his team's name into the semi-finals. Following this victory, Argentina earned the right to take the stage in a fierce struggle against England for a final ticket in Atlanta.