According to reports from Kansas City, the reigning world champions Argentina endured another night of extreme suffering before sealing their spot in the 2026 World Cup semifinals. Lionel Scaloni's men ultimately overcame a resilient ten-man Switzerland side 3-1 after extra time, thanks to a decisive brace from striker Lautaro Martínez. Following the final whistle, the Albiceleste players immediately turned their focus to their next monumental challenge, chanting and mocking their upcoming opponents, England.
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Subscribe Sekarang →The high-stakes quarterfinal took a controversial turn in the second half when Swiss forward Breel Embolo was sent off in the 70th minute. Based on the tournament's newly updated regulations, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened to penalize the Stade Rennais attacker for simulation, resulting in a second yellow card. The decision left the Swiss bench and players furious, with teammates describing the outcome as "just catastrophic" after fighting valiantly to stay level at 1-1 during regular time.
Argentina had earlier taken an early lead in the 10th minute when Alexis Mac Allister directed a perfectly delivered Lionel Messi corner into the back of the net. Despite controlling long stretches of possession, Switzerland fought back brilliantly, capitalizing on a fine collective movement between Rodriguez and Dan Ndoye, with the latter slipping the ball past Emiliano Martínez to equalize. Even after dropping to ten men, the Swiss defense, marshaled by Manuel Akanji and Granit Xhaka, consistently frustrated Lionel Messi and his teammates, forcing the match into a tense extra-time period.
In the grueling extra sessions, Argentina's numerical advantage finally paid off. Super-sub Julian Alvarez re-energized the attack with a spectacular effort, before Lautaro Martínez put the game beyond doubt in the 120th minute, capitalizing on a rebounded shot from Thiago Almada to make it 3-1. Editorial team observations from tournament monitoring note that while Argentina remains unbeaten in 12 consecutive World Cup matches since their 2022 opening defeat to Saudi Arabia, Lionel Scaloni has clear tactical areas to rectify before facing the Three Lions in Atlanta.