The current world champion Argentina secured a place in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup after an extremely dramatic 3-1 victory over the Swiss team. The match was played at the "Arrowhead Stadium" stadium in Kansas City, USA, and offered a real football show, which was decided after an exhausting 120 minutes of play.
The match started perfectly for the "albiceleste", who opened the score in the 10th minute. Captain Lionel Messi crossed accurately from a corner, and Alexis Mc Allister proved to be the most resourceful at the far post and headed past Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. The Argentines controlled the game for most of the regular time, but the Europeans, led by Murat Yakin, demonstrated exceptional discipline and will. The pressure of the “crusaders“ paid off in the 67th minute, when Dan Ndoye intercepted Ricardo Rodriguez's cross and threw the Swiss fans into ecstasy, equalizing 1:1.
Just five minutes after the equalizer, however, in the 72nd minute, Switzerland suffered a heavy blow. Striker Briel Embolo received a second yellow card for simulation after a VAR intervention and was sent off by Portuguese referee Joao Pinheiro. Despite being outnumbered, the European team returned to an excellent defensive organization, led by Granit Xhaka and Manuel Akanji, and held on for the rest of the regular 90 minutes.
The drama reached its peak in the second extra time. In the 112th minute, Julián Álvarez became a hero for his country, after receiving a pass from substitute José Manuel López and with a phenomenal, parabolic shot from the edge of the penalty area sent the ball into the upper right corner of Kobel for 2:1. At the very end of added time (120th minute), while the Swiss had thrown everything into the front positions, Lautaro Martínez made the final 3:1 in a quick counterattack, ensuring the triumph of his team.
According to the official statistics of the world football headquarters FIFA and the sports sections of leading media such as BBC, ESPN and Sportal, Argentina continues its series of 11 consecutive matches without losing in world finals. In the dispute for a place in the grand final, Lionel Messi and company will face the England team, which earlier that night eliminated Norway 2:1 after a turnaround. The semi-final clash will be held in Atlanta on 15 July.