KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Argentina reached the FIFA World Cup semi-finals on Saturday after defeating Switzerland 3-1 following extra time in a tense quarter-final, keeping alive the defending champions' bid to retain the title.
Julián Álvarez broke the deadlock in the 112th minute with a long-range strike before Lautaro Martínez added a third goal in stoppage time of extra time to seal Argentina's victory after Switzerland had battled with 10 men for much of the contest.
Argentina took the lead in the 10th minute when Alexis Mac Allister headed home from Lionel Messi's corner. Switzerland responded after the break, with Dan Ndoye equalising in the 67th minute to set up a closely contested finish.
The match turned five minutes later when Swiss forward Breel Embolo was sent off following a Video Assistant Referee review that resulted in a second yellow card for simulation, leaving Switzerland to defend with 10 players for the remainder of regulation and extra time. Switzerland coach Murat Yakin later questioned the decision, saying the dismissal had a decisive impact on the outcome.
Despite their numerical advantage, Argentina struggled to break down Switzerland's disciplined defence until Álvarez found the breakthrough with eight minutes remaining in extra time. Martínez then added a late finish to secure the result after Switzerland had pushed forward in search of an equaliser.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni acknowledged the challenge posed by the Swiss, saying his side had been made to work hard for another knockout victory. Switzerland's elimination ended the country's deepest World Cup run since reaching the quarter-finals on home soil in 1954.
The victory sends Argentina into a semi-final against England in Atlanta after the English side defeated Norway 2-1 following extra time earlier on Saturday. The other semi-final will feature France against Spain, marking the first time the top four teams in the FIFA rankings have all reached the World Cup semi-finals, according to tournament records.
Argentina have now survived three consecutive knockout matches that extended beyond 90 minutes, underlining another difficult path as they continue their attempt to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to win successive men's World Cup titles.
