Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 after extra time at Kansas City Stadium on Saturday, 11 July 2026, booking a World Cup semi-final against England in Atlanta on Wednesday.
Three goals to one looks comfortable on the page. It was not comfortable on the pitch. For 67 minutes, Switzerland were the better side. They equalised deservedly. They looked capable of winning the match. Then came a red card that changed everything, and then came Julian Alvarez with a 25-yard curler into the top corner that nobody had any answer for. The scoreline flatters Argentina significantly. England should take note.
Furthermore, this was the third successive game in which Argentina earned a difficult victory despite an underwhelming performance. They needed a 93rd-minute goal to beat Egypt in the Round of 16. They survived Cape Verde in extra time in the Round of 32. Against Switzerland, they managed zero shots on target between Mac Allister’s 10th-minute opener and a late Lisandro Martinez effort deep in second-half stoppage time.
That is roughly 80 minutes of almost total attacking impotence against a side that was eventually reduced to 10 men. Sky Sports journalist Dan Long wrote after the match that “Switzerland made it difficult for Lionel Scaloni’s side”, adding that their “dismissal changed the game.” BBC Sport’s Emma Smith noted Argentina “failed to press their advantage” after going ahead. Both are putting it diplomatically.
The statistics confirm the story the eye test told. Switzerland’s xG of 0.47 reads low, but they generated it primarily in normal time against a full-strength Argentina side. Emiliano Martinez made four saves, including a close-quarters stop from Ndoye and two header saves from Embolo.
Argentina committed 14 fouls and were not shown a yellow card until extra time. In total, 32 fouls were committed in the match. The Swiss had reason for frustration long before the red card arrived.
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Switzerland Were the Better Team Until the Red Card
Mac Allister’s header from Messi’s corner after just 10 minutes gave Argentina a lead they barely deserved so early. Embolo was denied a certain goal by a brilliant Lisandro Martinez block in the 32nd minute. He had another clear chance blocked in the 50th minute, again by Lisandro. Granit Xhaka forced a save from Emiliano Martinez from long range. Ndoye and Xhaka both tested the goalkeeper during a sustained period of Swiss pressure.
That pressure paid off when Ndoye cut in from the left in the 67th minute, played a sharp one-two with Ricardo Rodriguez, and tucked his finish through the goalkeeper’s legs. Switzerland were level, and by that point they probably deserved to be.
Key stats from normal time that support Switzerland’s case:
- Embolo denied twice by Lisandro Martinez in high-quality positions
- Switzerland had generated their chances without the numerical advantage
- Argentina generated zero shots on target between the 10th and 90th minutes
- Emiliano Martinez, not Kobel, was the busier goalkeeper for the majority of the match
The Red Card That Decided the Match
Five minutes after Switzerland’s equaliser, Leandro Paredes appeared to foul Embolo near the halfway line and was booked. VAR intervened under the new “mistaken identity” rule, and replays showed Embolo had clearly simulated the contact. Paredes’ yellow card was rescinded. Embolo, already booked, received a second yellow card for simulation and was sent off.
Embolo was inconsolable. The controversy did not end there. Argentina had committed multiple physical fouls without punishment throughout the match, and many Swiss observers argued Embolo had anticipated contact given the pattern of play. Whether he dived or expected a challenge he did not receive, the outcome was the same. Ten-man Switzerland now faced extra time against the world champions.
Argentina’s Firepower Masks Their Struggles
With Switzerland down to 10 men, Alvarez struck in the 112th minute. His curling finish from 25 yards into the top corner was genuinely brilliant, and no goalkeeper in the world stops that effort. Lautaro Martinez added the third in stoppage time of extra time after Thiago Almada’s shot was parried.
Argentina now hold the World Cup record for the longest run of scoring multiple goals in a single tournament, netting at least twice in each of their last 11 consecutive World Cup matches. Messi also became the first player to register 10 assists in World Cup history with his corner delivery for Mac Allister’s opener.
Both records are real. Also, this Argentina side has been pushed to extra time in two of their last three games. England, who also needed extra time against Norway, go into the Atlanta semi-final knowing Scaloni’s squad has run considerably harder than the 3-1 scoreline suggests.
Also Read: Lionel Messi Hits Hat-Trick as Argentina Beat Algeria 3-0 in World Cup
England Should Not Read Too Much Into This Result
Wednesday’s semi-final is not against a Switzerland with 10 men. It is against Messi, Alvarez, Mac Allister, and Lautaro Martinez at their worst, which was still good enough to win 3-1. Argentina have now scored in 15 consecutive World Cup matches. Their firepower is real even when their performances are not.
The scoreline flatters Argentina. That does not mean England should feel comfortable. It means they should feel informed.
Also Read: England Beat Norway 2-1 to Reach 2026 World Cup Semi-Finals
