Argentina beats Switzerland in another chapter of its improbable World Cup run, with Álvarez’s extra-time golazo turning a tense quarterfinal into a signature moment. The defending champions won 3-1 after extra time on Saturday night in Kansas City, surviving a scare from 10-man opponents to book a semifinal date with England on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Argentina looked in control early, going ahead in the 10th minute when Alexis Mac Allister headed home a corner kick from Lionel Messi. Switzerland fought back in the 67th minute through Dan Ndoye, whose curled finish from a tight angle leveled the score and silenced the crowd. Five minutes later, Breel Embolo was sent off for simulation after a VAR review, leaving Switzerland to defend with 10 men for the rest of regulation and all of extra time.
Despite the man advantage, Argentina couldn’t find a breakthrough before the final whistle, sending the match into extra time. That’s when Alvarez’s extra-time golazo arrived. In the 112th minute, Julián Álvarez unleashed a curling strike from outside the penalty area that beat goalkeeper Gregor Kobel at the far post, a moment few in the stadium saw coming. Lautaro Martínez added a third in the final seconds of extra time, sealing the 3-1 win and sparking wild celebrations on the Argentina bench.
Julián Álvarez was the clear match-winner, and Alvarez’s extra-time golazo instantly becomes one of the defining moments of this year’s tournament. His strike broke a stubborn deadlock and shifted the momentum fully in Argentina’s favor. Mac Allister opened the scoring with his header, while Martínez capped the win with his late finish. Messi didn’t find the net himself, ending a nine-game World Cup scoring streak, but he set up the opening goal and created several other chances that kept Switzerland’s defense under constant pressure.
Argentina’s win completed a historic quarterfinal round. With France facing Spain in the other semifinal, this marks the first time since FIFA rankings began in 1992 that the top four ranked teams have all reached the World Cup semifinals. Argentina now rides a 12-match unbeaten World Cup streak into the final four, though Lionel Scaloni’s side has needed extra time in two of its last three knockout matches to get there.
Argentina will face England in Wednesday’s semifinal in Atlanta, after the Three Lions survived their own extra-time thriller earlier Saturday, beating Norway 2-1 behind two goals from Jude Bellingham. It sets up a heavyweight semifinal between two of the tournament’s most battle-tested sides. For full match statistics and player ratings from the win, ESPN’s complete match report covers every detail, while Yahoo Sports’ live coverage has additional context on Álvarez’s strike.
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