It was ugly. It was exhausting. But in the end, the world champions did what they always seem to do.
Argentina booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals after a brutal 120-minute scrap against a relentlessly stubborn Switzerland side at Kansas City Stadium. Alexis Mac Allister set the tone early on, nodding home a brilliant Lionel Messi corner inside ten minutes. Then the drop-off happened. Lionel Scaloni’s men took their foot off the gas in the second half, allowing Dan Ndoye to smash home a thoroughly deserved equaliser from a dangerous cross.
The match swung on a red card. Swiss forward Breel Embolo was sent off after picking up a second booking for diving. Despite the man advantage, Argentina had to sweat. It took until the 111th minute of extra time for Julián Alvarez to break the deadlock with a magnificent, curling finish into the top corner. Lautaro Martínez then turned a rebound into an open net with the final kick of the game, putting a slightly deceptive gloss on a chaotic evening in Kansas City.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper commanded his box with total authority. He produced two massive saves, first dealing with an awkward, skipping effort from Granit Xhaka before pulling off a world-class flying stop in extra time. Completely blameless for the Swiss goal.
A frustrating night for the right-back. He looked completely restricted whenever he tried to venture forward and wasted a glorious second-half chance by blazing his shot wide. His positioning was suspect long before he was hooked.
Argentina booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals after a brutal 120-minute scrap against a relentlessly stubborn Switzerland side at Kansas City Stadium. Alexis Mac Allister set the tone early on, nodding home a brilliant Lionel Messi corner inside ten minutes. Then the drop-off happened. Lionel Scaloni’s men took their foot off the gas in the second half, allowing Dan Ndoye to smash home a thoroughly deserved equaliser from a dangerous cross.
The match swung on a red card. Swiss forward Breel Embolo was sent off after picking up a second booking for diving. Despite the man advantage, Argentina had to sweat. It took until the 111th minute of extra time for Julián Alvarez to break the deadlock with a magnificent, curling finish into the top corner. Lautaro Martínez then turned a rebound into an open net with the final kick of the game, putting a slightly deceptive gloss on a chaotic evening in Kansas City.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper commanded his box with total authority. He produced two massive saves, first dealing with an awkward, skipping effort from Granit Xhaka before pulling off a world-class flying stop in extra time. Completely blameless for the Swiss goal.
A frustrating night for the right-back. He looked completely restricted whenever he tried to venture forward and wasted a glorious second-half chance by blazing his shot wide. His positioning was suspect long before he was hooked.
4 months ago
