Extra time, full-time: Argentina 3-1 Switzerland
Argentina are through after extra-time heroics, and for the first time the top four teams in Fifa’s rankings will be in the World Cup semi-finals.
Messi, Lopez and Almada celebrate at full-time. Photograph: Lars Baron/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 23.49 EDT
Key events
That’s it from me tonight. Quite the pair of semi-finals we’ve now got on tap for next week. A reminder that you can find all of the Guardian’s World Cup content right here. Thanks for your insight, emails, hydration break recommendations and everything in between!
Nick Ames was at Kansas City Stadium for this match. “Did anyone think Argentina would do it the easy way?” he asks. Surely not.
Interesting insight from Martín writing in from Argentina:
“Awful match. Weird double yellow (fair, I think, but so stupid that maybe the ref could just let it pass). As an argentinian, I’d prefer another approach. We need to be better. Against England, I’d rather lose playing our game than being this again. We already are champions, we have an identity, let’s not lose it.”
More mailbag thoughts:
“Well, at least if Messi does a Maradona and punches through a goal against England, VAR will overrule it – maybe. (No guarantees when it’s Argentina.)” Burt
“As successful as they’ve been in this World Cup, Argentina are unconvincing to me. Cape Verde, Egypt, and now Switzerland have pushed them hard, and they’re making heavy weather out of what should be winnable matches. They have a glass jaw, and I don’t see this team getting past England.” Chris
“It bothers me that VAR has been very inconsistent when applying the rules, seemingly favoring the ‘bigger’ teams over others. A semi-final of Argentina – England is a great one in theory, but I fear the worst with this tournaments refereeing track record. I for one will be preparing myself for heartbreak…” Michael H
“Was hoping for a Swiss upset but honestly I don’t think that England should fear Argentina from what we have seen.” Kyle
The mega World Cup has given us a pair of mega-matchups for the semi-finals.
France v Spain on Tuesday in Dallas
England v Argentina on Wednesday in Atlanta
Argentina, meanwhile, live another day. They are unbeaten in a remarkable 12 World Cup games, dating back to the 2022 tournament in Qatar, and their dream of becoming the first back-to-back champion since Brazil in 1962 continues.
Everything said before this match – that this style of play makes for compelling drama and captivating narratives, but is not without its flaws – seems still very true after this game.
Switzerland will be (rightfully) upset about the way that match finished, but I think many viewers will have been surprised that their 10-man defence didn’t break sooner.
There will undoubtedly be lots of conversation to continue about the Embolo sending-off. It does feel as though this World Cup has been played against a backdrop of refereeing and officiating discourse/questions of discipline. Maybe that’s just the way things will be in the VAR era of football? Maybe it’s all setting up for a massive decision of consequence in a final. We’ll see.
Watching Argentina games at the 2026 World Cup has felt like that one internet meme from 2016:
“Well, I’d like to see Argentina wriggle their way out of THIS jam!”
*Argentina wriggles their way out of the jam easily*
“Ah! Well. Nevertheless,”
ShareExtra time, full-time: Argentina 3-1 Switzerland
Argentina are through after extra-time heroics, and for the first time the top four teams in Fifa’s rankings will be in the World Cup semi-finals.
Messi, Lopez and Almada celebrate at full-time. Photograph: Lars Baron/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 23.49 EDT
How deceiving this 3-1 scoreline will be. Lautaro Martinez started this sequence on the counter and laid the ball off to Thiago Almada, who seemed to get a shot off but had his attempt saved by Gregor Kobel. Martinez was in position to fire the rebound of the save into the empty net.
ShareGOAL! Argentina 3-1 Switzerland (120+1′ L Martinez)
Martinez seals it on the break!
Lautaro Martinez seals it with the third. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images Photograph: Agustín Marcarian/ReutersMartinez celebrates. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/FIFA/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 23.47 EDT
120 min The referee has given four minutes of stoppage time.
119 min Messi gets the ball on the break but his shot is deflected away by a Swiss defender. He wanted that goal, but he’ll have to settle for another corner (which Argentina take short and quickly).
119 min Switzerland win a free-kick but it’s cleared away by Alvarez.
118 min Peter writes in to mention that “Al-VAR-ez has bailed out Argentina yet again”. Clever. The US broadcast is already waxing poetic about the possibility of an England v Argentina semi-final.
116 min Emi Martinez makes a jumping save of a Swiss shot.
115 min Lopez sees yellow for a scuffle after the goal, and Switzerland make another substitution, sending Vargas on to replace Freuler.
Have Argentina done it again? They just may have. That’s a wondrous strike by Julian Alvarez to break the deadlock in the 112th minute. He picks up a pass from Jose Manuel Lopez, who had just entered in the 110th minute for Leandro Paredes, takes just a few touches on his right foot at the left edge of the penalty area and fires a curling shot into the top right corner. It’s Alvarez’s first goal of this World Cup.
Updated at 23.35 EDT
GOAL! Argentina 2-1 Switzerland (Alvarez 112′)
What a strike by Alvarez!
Argentina’s Julian Alvarez curls in the second. Photograph: Amanda Perobelli/Reuters Photograph: Agustín Marcarian/ReutersAlvarez celebrates. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/FIFA/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 23.41 EDT
112 min Messi tries the cut inside once again, and Kobel taps it away.
111 min A long shot by Messi is handled by Kobel. That wasn’t a save, but the Swiss keeper has impressed again in this game.
109 min Messi has tried several times since his near-miss in stoppage time of regulation to cut inside around the top of the box, but he’s running into a wall of red each time he tries.
108 min A Swiss break by Amdouni is stopped by a pack of Argentina defenders.
107 min Xhaka puts in a strong free-kick that Argentina clears away. That’s much better from Switzerland after some sub-par set-piece work earlier this game.
106 min The second half of extra time is under way.
Another change for Argentina: Otamendi is on for Romero, who put in a nice shift. As Ronald wrote in: “Could someone please remind Cristian Romero (and Pedro Porro for that matter) that it’s OK to play this well for Spurs? Thanks!”
Shyam writes in: “Surely after another grueling game, Argentina, should they get past the Swiss, will be knackered when they face England and even more so should they face Spain or France in the final?
It’s interesting to compare cricket and football World Cups. In the former, winning close matches leads to a team being battle hardened and likely to prevail in the final. But in football World Cups too many harrowing matches just lead to exhaustion!”
ShareExtra time, half time: Argentina 1-1 Switzerland
A few days after they played for a penalty shootout against Colombia, the Swiss are doing it again. Argentina had more of the chances in the first 15 minutes of extra time but Switzerland are holding firm.
105+2 min Romero’s header is wide, and the first half of extra time is finished.
105+1 min Argentina win a corner. The referee has given one minute of stoppage time in this period.
105+1 min From Sydney, Gervase asks: “If Switzerland hang on until full-time, what are the chances Messi opts out of the penalties? Given his record to date, I think he’s a very doubtful starter.”
You have to think yes, but it is a good reminder that Messi, for all his undisputed greatness, is not the World Cup’s finest penalty taker. He missed against Egypt and is 4-for-8 at the World Cup in his career.
Updated at 23.22 EDT
104 min Given they’ve been playing down a man since the 72nd minute, the Swiss defence is holding up remarkably well.
103 min The free-kick goes straight into the wall but Argentina maintain possession.
Messi’s free-kick hits the wall. Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 23.22 EDT
102 min Messi collides with Amdouni and draws a free-kick from about 25 yards out.
Zeki Amdouni fouls Messi. Photograph: Christopher Neundorf/EPAShare
Updated at 23.21 EDT
100 min Messi aims a shot, a cross, maybe a bit of both, from the right, but it’s handled by Kobel.