Argentina 3-1 Switzerland AET - Alvarez Stunner Sends Champions to Semi vs England

Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the World Cup 2026 quarterfinal at Kansas City Stadium. Alexis Mac Allister headed them in front early. Dan Ndoye levelled. Breel Embolo got himself sent off. Then, deep in the second half of extra time, Julian Alvarez bent one into the top corner from distance - and Lautaro Martinez finished the night.

Defending champions. Third World Cup semi-final in four tournaments. Next stop: England in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Final score: Argentina 3 - Switzerland 1 (AET)

Minute	Event	Score
10’	Mac Allister header (assist Messi corner)	1-0
~25’	Emi Martinez saves one-on-one vs Embolo	1-0
~50’	Molina dragged wide after Messi through ball	1-0
65’	Ndoye header - Emi Martinez save	1-0
67’	Dan Ndoye equaliser (one-two with Rodriguez)	1-1
72’	Embolo second yellow - simulation - red card	1-1
~85’	Messi curls right-footed - just wide	1-1
89’	Mac Allister heads Gonzalez cross over from six yards	1-1
FT 90	Extra time	1-1
ET early	Almada clips outside of Kobel post	1-1
112’	Julian Alvarez stunner from ~25 yards	2-1
120+1’	Lautaro Martinez tap-in after Almada / Kobel	3-1
FT AET	Argentina into semi-finals	3-1

Stadium: Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead). Player of the Match: Julian Alvarez.

Match chronology

First half - Mac Allister from nowhere

Switzerland started brighter. Argentina answered with a set piece.

10’: Second corner in a row. Lionel Messi swung it in. Mac Allister - 1.76m, surrounded by taller Swiss - rose and headed firmly into the corner. Switzerland had not trailed for 17 hours and 10 minutes across qualifying and this tournament. That streak died in Kansas City.

Around the half: Embolo slipped Lisandro Martinez and ran clean through. Emi Martinez raced off his line and snuffed it. Without that save, the night looks different.

Second half - Ndoye equalises, Embolo walks

Early second half: Messi sliced Switzerland open for Molina. The right-back dragged it wide. Waste.

Then Switzerland woke up.

65’: Ndoye headed - Emi saved. 67’: Ndoye played a neat one-two with Ricardo Rodriguez and finished from a tight angle under the keeper. 1-1. Arrowhead roared for the underdogs.

72’: The swing. Embolo went down looking for a foul. Second yellow for simulation. Ten men for nearly fifty minutes - including all of extra time.

Argentina piled on. Messi jinked inside and curled with his right - inches wide. Mac Allister met a Nico Gonzalez cross at six yards and headed over. Somehow, full-time arrived still 1-1.

Extra time - Alvarez breaks them

Early ET: Thiago Almada clipped the outside of Kobel’s post. Switzerland were organised, stubborn, exhausting to watch if you wore sky blue.

112’: Break. Alvarez found space outside the box and bent a curler into the top right. Golazo. Player of the Match sealed. Argentina 2-1.

120+1’: Counter. Almada forced Kobel into a save. Rebound sat up for Lautaro. Empty net from just outside the area. 3-1. Insurance. Full stop.

Who scored?

Player	Team	Minute	How
Alexis Mac Allister	Argentina	10’	Header from Messi corner
Dan Ndoye	Switzerland	67’	Finish after one-two with Rodriguez
Julian Alvarez	Argentina	112’	Curler from distance
Lautaro Martinez	Argentina	120+1’	Rebound after Almada shot

Why it matters

• Argentina - semi-final vs England, Atlanta, Wednesday
• Scoring streak: 15 straight World Cup games with a goal
• Switzerland’s best World Cup run since 1954 ends here
• Numerical edge for ~50 minutes still needed a moment of magic
• Same night England beat Norway 2-1 AET - the semi writes itself

In short

• Argentina 3-1 Switzerland after extra time
• Mac Allister 10’, Ndoye 67’, Alvarez 112’, Lautaro 120+1’
• Embolo sent off 72’ for simulation
• Semi-final: Argentina vs England

Champions, again, found a way. Switzerland made them sweat for every inch of it.