Julián Alvarez’s long-range strike in the 112th minute proved decisive as defending champion Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time on Saturday night, booking a place in the World Cup semifinals. The quarterfinal at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, swung late after the match was tied in the second half, with Argentina eventually pulling away to set up a semifinal meeting with England on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring for La Albiceleste from a Lionel Messi corner kick, but Switzerland responded through Dan Ndoye in the 67th minute to force extra time. With the Swiss reduced to 10 men after a controversial red card, Argentina found the breakthrough in extra time through Alvarez before Lautaro Martínez added another finish later to seal the two-goal margin.
“We’re among the best four,” Alvarez said, “so we’re meeting our objectives, and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. The whole match was hard, and we would have loved to have the win earlier, but we tried to get the win however we could.”
Leandro Paredes added: “It seems like if there’s no suffering, it doesn’t count, but as long as the results come through.”
How Argentina edged a tense quarterfinal in Kansas City
Argentina, which has made its base in Kansas City during the tournament, returned to Arrowhead Stadium for the second time at this World Cup with a heavily pro-Argentina crowd. The match was also the 100th game of the expanded tournament and the final fixture of the quarterfinal round.
Switzerland arrived with a defensive reputation, having conceded three goals in five games, and they controlled possession early. But Messi helped create the opening goal, first earning a corner and then delivering the set piece that Mac Allister converted for a 1-0 lead.
For long stretches, Switzerland struggled to break down an Argentina back line that had conceded two goals in each of its previous two matches. The Swiss were also without Johan Manzabi, described as one of their best goal-scorers, who remained out with a knee injury after missing the round-of-16 penalty shootout win over Colombia.
Still, Switzerland pushed back after the break. After forcing Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into a couple of tough saves in the second half, the Swiss equalized when Ricardo Rodriguez played a pass to Ndoye, who finished to make it 1-1 in the 67th minute.
The turning point followed soon after. Paredes was initially shown a yellow card for a tackle on Breel Embolo, but video showed Embolo falling before contact was made. Embolo had already been booked earlier in the match, and the incident ultimately left Switzerland defending with 10 players. It was the second time at this World Cup that a yellow card has been overturned using the “mistaken identity” protocol, which allows the video assistant referee to intervene when an incorrect player is shown a yellow or red card.
Switzerland coach Murat Yakin criticized the decision afterward. “We were punished because of a rule that in my opinion is completely unacceptable,” he said. “I don’t understand. It’s very painful that we were eliminated that way. I don’t think we deserve that today, in my opinion.”
Remo Freuler was blunt about the moment: “It was just a disaster,” he said of the red card.
Argentina pressed late in regulation, with Mac Allister heading wide in the 89th minute and Messi sending an effort just wide in stoppage time, but the match remained level and went to extra time.
In the 112th minute, Alvarez delivered the breakthrough with a long-range strike to put Argentina ahead. Later in extra time, Lautaro Martínez finished to make it 3-1 and send the reigning champions back to the semifinals.
Argentina midfielder Thiago Almada said the team anticipated the challenge Switzerland posed. “We knew this could happen,” he said. “They have top players, very good position, they were trying to find people inside. We knew how to hold up and we made it through.”
What the result means for Argentina and Switzerland
The win keeps Argentina’s pursuit of back-to-back World Cup titles alive and sets up a high-profile semifinal against England in Atlanta on Wednesday. With Argentina and England advancing, the tournament has also produced a notable milestone: it is the first time the top four teams in the FIFA rankings have reached the semifinals.
For Switzerland, the defeat ended a landmark run in their first World Cup quarterfinal since 1954. The Swiss still have never reached a World Cup semifinal, and the loss continued their winless record against Argentina across eight meetings, including three at the World Cup.
