KANSAS CITY — Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 after extra time on Saturday to secure a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, where the defending champions will face England after surviving a tense quarter-final shaped by late goals and a controversial red card.
Alexis Mac Allister gave Argentina an early advantage with a header in the 10th minute, but Switzerland responded after halftime through Dan Ndoye, who equalized in the 67th minute following sustained pressure from Murat Yakin's side.
The match turned in the 72nd minute when Swiss forward Breel Embolo was sent off following a video review in a decision that prompted protests from Switzerland. Reduced to 10 men, the Swiss defended resolutely to force extra time before Argentina finally broke through in the closing stages.
Julián Álvarez scored the decisive goal in the 112th minute with a long-range strike that beat the Swiss goalkeeper, and Lautaro Martínez added a third goal deep into stoppage time after capitalizing on a rebound to seal Argentina's victory.
The result sends Lionel Scaloni's side into a semi-final against England in Atlanta on Wednesday, with a place in the World Cup final at stake. England advanced earlier on Saturday by defeating Norway 2-1 after extra time.
Scaloni sought to play down the historical significance of facing England, describing the upcoming encounter as "a football game and that is all," while expressing satisfaction with Argentina's progress to another World Cup semi-final.
Swiss coach Murat Yakin criticized the dismissal of Embolo after the match, saying the decision had a significant impact on the contest and arguing his team had performed well enough to compete for a place in the last four.
Argentina's victory also completed an unprecedented World Cup semi-final lineup featuring the top four teams in the FIFA world rankings: Argentina, England, France and Spain. France and Spain will meet in the first semi-final before Argentina and England contest the second berth in the final.
The Argentina-England winner will advance to the World Cup final scheduled for July 19 in New York New Jersey Stadium, while the losing side will play in the third-place match.
