Argentina enters the semifinal, beat Switzerland by 3-1

Defending champions Argentina secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Switzerland in extra time during a dramatic FIFA World Cup quarterfinal clash in Kansas City. Lionel Scaloni's men initially got off to a flying start when midfielder Alexis Mac Allister confidently nodded home a well-placed corner kick from captain Lionel Messi in the tenth minute. The early goal set a dominant tone for the Albiceleste, who controlled the initial phases of the game and looked to be comfortably cruising toward a regulation-time victory.

However, a resilient Swiss side fought their way back into the encounter during the second half. In the 67th minute, Dan Ndoye capitalized on a scoring opportunity, unleashing a brilliant curled finish from a highly narrow angle to level the scoreline at 1-1. The momentum swung briefly, but Switzerland's hopes suffered a massive blow in the 72nd minute when forward Breel Embolo was sent off. Following a comprehensive Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, Embolo received his second yellow card of the simulation match, leaving his team to play out the remainder of the tie with ten men.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Switzerland displayed exceptional tactical organization, successfully absorbing continuous Argentine pressure to exhaust the remainder of regular time and force the match into extra-time. As the exhausted Swiss defense looked set to hold out for a penalty shootout, Argentina’s attacking persistence finally paid off in the 112th minute. Julián Álvarez broke the deadlock with a stunning, curled long-range strike that sailed directly into the top corner of the net.

With Switzerland throwing bodies forward in a desperate final attempt to equalize, Lautaro Martínez capitalized on the space left behind. Martínez scored a definitive goal in the 121st minute to put the final gloss on the scoreline, sealing a 3-1 victory. The late double-strike successfully sustained Argentina's World Cup title defense, sending Lionel Scaloni's side through to the tournament's semifinal stage after an exhausting battle.