Defending champions Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 after extra time to book their place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday.Julian Alvarez broke the deadlock in the 112th minute with a superb long-range strike before Lautaro Martinez added a third goal in the dying moments of extra time.Argentina will now face England in the semi-finals on Wednesday after the Three Lions beat Norway 2-1 earlier in the day.
Mac Allister gives Argentina an early lead
Argentina made a bright start and took the lead in the 10th minute.Lionel Messi headed in a corner from the left, and Alexis Mac Allister found the net to put the defending champions ahead.Messi didn’t score in the match, ending his nine-game streak at the World Cup, but he still played a key role in Argentina’s victory.
Switzerland retreats before the red card
Switzerland refused to give up and equalized in the 67th minute through Dan Ndoye.However, the match changed dramatically a few minutes later.Leandro Paredes was initially shown a yellow card for a challenge on Breel Embolo. After a VAR review, the officials ruled that Embolo had gone down before any contact.As Embolo had already been booked before the game, the yellow card was transferred to him under FIFA’s ‘mistaken identity’ protocol. It became his second booking, and Switzerland were reduced to 10 men.It was only the second time in World Cup history that the “mistaken identity” rule was used to overturn a yellow card decision.
Argentina makes the extra man
Despite having a numerical advantage, Argentina had to wait until extra time to find the breakthrough.Julian Alvarez finally got his side back in front with a brilliant strike from distance in the 112th minute.With Switzerland pushing for another equaliser, Lautaro Martinez scored in extra time to seal a 3-1 win.
Argentina continues its unbeaten run
Argentina have now extended their unbeaten run to the FIFA World Cup to 12 matches.The reigning champions had to work hard in the knockout stage, needing extra time to beat Cape Verde before winning by two goals against Egypt in the round of 16.Against Switzerland, they once again found a way to win and keep their dream of retaining the World Cup alive.The win also means that the top four teams in the FIFA rankings – Argentina, England, France and Spain – have all reached the semi-finals.