Lautaro Martinez struck in the 121st minute to send Argentina into the World Cup semi-finals, sealing a 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in the early hours of Sunday.
The Inter captain latched onto a rebound in the dying moments of additional time to settle a gruelling quarter-final contest. Alexis Mac Allister had given the reigning world champions an early advantage, finding the net after just ten minutes to put Lionel Scaloni’s side ahead.
Switzerland responded strongly after the interval. Dan Ndoye levelled for the Swiss in the 67th minute, cancelling out the opener and forcing the South Americans into another period of extra time.
Extra-time deciders
The deadlock persisted until the additional period, when Julian Alvarez restored Argentina’s lead. With penalties looming, Martinez intervened in injury-time to prevent the contest from reaching a shootout and confirm the victory.
The winning goal stemmed from Thiago Almada’s incisive run into the penalty area. The midfielder tested Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel with a low shot, which the keeper managed to save. However, the ball rebounded to Martinez, who converted the chance with a first-time finish.
The strike marked the Inter forward’s second goal of the tournament, following a successful penalty conversion during Argentina’s 3-1 group-stage win over Jordan.
Physical toll mounts
Argentina have now played the full 120 minutes in all three of their knockout fixtures at the 2026 tournament. The sequence represents a significant physical burden for Scaloni’s squad as they attempt to defend their world title.
England await in Atlanta
The victory sets up a semi-final encounter with England in Atlanta on Wednesday. Thomas Tuchel’s side are expected to have Declan Rice available despite fitness concerns, with the Arsenal midfielder anticipated to start after recovering from illness that forced his half-time substitution against Norway.
Defender Ezri Konsa is also expected to be fit despite suffering cramp against Norway, while Reece James and Bukayo Saka could come into the starting eleven after impressing as substitutes.
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has emphasized the need for discipline against Argentina. “We all know how good Messi is,” he said, “but we also know Argentina’s quality, so we can’t focus solely on him.” Pickford stressed the importance of maintaining composure and letting “the football do the talking” in what he described as a contest between “two proud nations”.