Argentina had to wait, suffer and strike late, but the defending champions found their knockout nerve again.
Lionel Scaloni’s side beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the World Cup quarter-finals, with Julián Alvarez and Lautaro Martínez scoring late to send Argentina into a semi-final against England. The editor-supplied match file records Alexis Mac Allister’s opener, Dan Ndoye’s equaliser, Breel Embolo’s red card and Argentina’s two extra-time goals.
Argentina find the late punch
Argentina started sharply. Mac Allister put them ahead in the 10th minute, glancing Lionel Messi’s corner past Gregor Kobel and into the bottom-right corner. It was the first time Switzerland had gone behind in this World Cup cycle, according to the editor file.
Switzerland did not fold. They pushed after the break, tested Emiliano Martínez, and eventually found their equaliser in the 67th minute when Ndoye combined with Ricardo Rodríguez down the left before finishing under Martínez.
The game turned again five minutes later. Embolo, already booked before half-time, was sent off for simulation after a VAR review, according to the editor-supplied file. That red card changed Switzerland’s night from comeback chase to survival mission.
Switzerland resist, then Argentina break through
Switzerland defended long enough to drag the game into extra time and close enough to penalties to make Argentina uncomfortable. Messi came close late in normal time, while Mac Allister missed a chance to head in a winner, but Argentina still had another gear.
That gear came through Alvarez.
After Messi’s shot was parried by Kobel and the play stayed alive, Argentina worked the ball to Jose Manuel Lopez, who laid it off for Alvarez to bend in the decisive goal. Martínez then finished the job after Xhaka was dispossessed and Thiago Almada’s effort was denied, leaving Martínez to turn in the rebound.
It was not Argentina at their most fluent. It was Argentina at their most dangerous: patient, pressured, and still able to punish the one moment Switzerland could not survive.
Messi’s run ends, but his influence remains
Messi’s scoring streak at the tournament ended, but the match file notes that he still shaped the game through his corner for Mac Allister’s opener. It also credits him with 10 World Cup assists, two more than any player since 1966. These Opta-style record claims should remain attributed unless the original data source is attached.
Alvarez also chose the right stage. The file notes that four of his five World Cup goals have come in knockout rounds, underlining his value when Argentina need a decisive intervention.
For Switzerland, the ending was familiar and cruel. The file records that they have now been eliminated in all four of their World Cup quarter-final appearances, while Argentina’s extra-time history grew stronger again.
The result now sends Argentina into England’s path. Both teams needed extra time in the quarter-finals. Both had uncomfortable spells. Both found a player to change the night.
That is the danger for England. Argentina do not need to dominate every minute to survive a World Cup knockout game. They only need the moment when the match starts to crack.