Argentina advanced to the World Cup semifinals after a tense 3-1 victory over Switzerland in Kansas City on Saturday. Julian Alvarez scored the game-winning goal in the 112th minute, securing Argentina's place in the next round where they will face England.
Switzerland had forced extra time after equalizing in the second half, despite playing with 10 men for a significant portion of the match. Alexis Mac Allister put Argentina ahead in the 10th minute, but Dan Ndoye equalized for the Swiss in the 67th minute. The match's complexion shifted when Switzerland's Breel Embolo received a second yellow card, resulting in his expulsion.
Despite being a man down, Switzerland’s goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made a critical save in the final moments of regulation to send the match into extra time. Both teams received yellow cards in the first half of extra time, with Argentina's Thiago Almada and Lautaro Martínez cautioned.
Alvarez's strike in the 112th minute ultimately proved to be the decisive moment. Argentina added a third goal in added time to seal the 3-1 win. Notably, Lionel Messi did not score in this quarterfinal match, ending his scoring streak at nine games dating back to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Argentina's semifinal opponent, England, will also be a familiar foe. The semifinal matchups are set, with Spain and France scheduled to play on Tuesday. The Argentina-England semifinal is slated for Wednesday in Atlanta.