Julián Álvarez fired a spectacular 25-yard strike in the 113th minute to send defending champions Argentina into the World Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in Kansas City.
The holders appeared destined for penalties after Dan Ndoye cancelled out Alexis Mac Allister’s early header, but Breel Embolo’s 70th-minute dismissal proved decisive. Álvarez cut inside from the right and whipped an unstoppable finish into the top-left corner to break Swiss resistance, before Lautaro Martínez converted a late rebound to complete the scoring.
How the match unfolded
Argentina took a tenth-minute lead when Mac Allister headed home at the near post from Lionel Messi’s corner. The early breakthrough suggested comfortable progress for the three-time winners, yet Switzerland improved markedly after the interval.
Ndoye levelled in the 65th minute, exchanging passes with Ricardo Rodríguez before slotting past Emiliano Martínez. The equaliser followed sustained pressure that exposed Argentine vulnerabilities in midfield.
The contest shifted irrevocably five minutes after the equaliser when Embolo received a second yellow card for diving following a VAR review. The Monaco forward, who had earlier been cautioned for a challenge on Leandro Paredes, departed in tears as Switzerland were reduced to ten men.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Murat Yakin’s side held firm until extra time. Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel denied Messi and Lisandro Martínez during regulation time, keeping his side’s hopes alive until Álvarez intervened.
Semi-final showdown with England
The victory sets up a highly anticipated semi-final against England in Atlanta on Wednesday. It will be the first competitive meeting between the nations since the 2002 World Cup and marks Lionel Messi’s first appearance against the Three Lions.
England secured their place in the last four with a 2-1 victory over Norway in Miami, where Jude Bellingham scored both goals including an extra-time winner. Manager Thomas Tuchel criticised his team’s performance despite the result, admitting they had been “lucky” to progress.
The tournament now features the four highest-ranked teams in FIFA’s coefficient for the first time, with France facing Spain in Tuesday’s other semi-final.
Swiss campaign ends
The defeat ends Switzerland’s first World Cup quarter-final campaign since 1938. Yakin included five Bundesliga players in his starting eleven, with Kobel joined by Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Nico Elvedi and FC Augsburg’s Fabian Rieder from the outset. Freiburg’s Johan Manzambi remained sidelined through injury.
Switzerland had reached this stage by eliminating Colombia on penalties in the previous round, but Embolo’s red card ultimately denied them the chance to contest a first-ever semi-final appearance.