Suffered but deserved triumph. A great goal by Julián Álvarez, in the 110th minute, complemented by another score by Lautaro Martínez at the end of extra time, got the Argentina team out of the mess, which defeated Switzerland 2-1 and will play in the semifinal of the World Cup 2026 against England, a high-voltage match scheduled for Wednesday, July 15 (3 pm ET) in Atlanta.
Julián rewarded the insistence of coach Lionel Scaloni, who kept him in the eleven despite the fact that his time in the tournament had left nothing but controversy for wanting to leave Atlético de Madrid.
But “The Spider” appeared when he was needed most, when the “Albiceleste” became desperate for not being able to beat the ten Swiss players that the VAR had left on the field in the 72nd minute in extra time.
Because, in the midst of the controversy over whether to help Argentina, a decision fueled the bonfire and shook up a quarterfinal match that until then was leaden. It was just six minutes after Dan Ndoye punished the South American indolence with a goal.
A play on the wing, an apparent hard tackle by Leandro Paredes, which earned him a yellow. The VAR immediately notified the Portuguese referee Joao Pinheiro that he had mistaken the player, one of the new rules that came into force at the World Cup.
The Portuguese referee reviewed it, annulled Paredes’ yellow card and cautioned Breel Embolo. It was the second yellow card that the Swiss attacker had seen, just when Murat Yakin’s team was beginning to believe in qualification.
It was the climax of a strange tie, as strange as Scaloni’s decision to keep the eleven he fielded against Egypt, a team that at times seemed low on heart rate and adjusted to the quick advantage obtained.
How much suffering!
Argentima took the lead early. At the second consecutive corner, Alexis Mc Allister, poorly defended by Djibrill Sow, headed Lionel Messi’s kick into the net. Less than 10 minutes and the reigning champions had the desired match.
From that moment, Switzerland had the ball, but without a defined plan to deactivate the two Argentine defensive lines. He didn’t know what to do with him, beyond a distant shot from Sow and an incursion by Embolo into the area to which Emiliano Martínez responded well.
Argentina did not do much more, neither stepping on the accelerator, nor turning to Messi, practically unprecedented, and arrived at halftime with the feeling of having the tie under control.
A recklessness that cost him dearly. Switzerland increased its lines after the break, played closer and closer to the Argentine area and “el Dibu” had to intervene more and more, until a drive by Dan Ndoye on the left, with a wall included with Ricardo Rodríguez, culminated with a cross shot to tie the game (m.66).
A goal to shake the gauchos from their lethargy, who shortly after found themselves with one more man, after the VAR decision, and almost half an hour – with 9 minutes of added time – to undertake their final attack with Messi, this time, completely involved.
With Switzerland in their area it was time for goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, the hero of the victory against Colombiato reject a volley from Lisandro Martínez (m.98+) and send the match to extra time.
Coach Scaloni was adding troops. He paired Lautaro with Julián, brought in Nico González, Thiago Almada, then José Manuel “el Flaco” López.
And coach Yakin was reinforcing the Zuiza wall, in a new survival exercise while waiting for penalties.
He did not succeed because the best Julian Álvarez appeared, the striker that Barcelona wanted and for whom Real Madrid offered 150 million euros, with a trademark goal, from outside the area and with a thread, to put on track a victory that Lautaro sentenced and that sends the world champions to play a “hot semi-final” against England.
This is how they aligned
– Argentina (3): Emiliano Martínez; Nahuel Molina (Gonzalo Montiel, m.85), Cuti Romero (Nicolás Otamendi, m.106), Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Tiaglafico (Nico González, m.78); Leandro Paredes (José Manuel López, m.110), Rodrigo de Paul (Lautaro Martínez, m.85), Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernández (Thiago Almada, m.92); Lionel Messi and Julián Álvarez
– Selector: Lionel Scaloni.
– Switzerland (1): Gregor Kobel; Deni Zakaria (Ardam Jashari, m.97), Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Ricardo Rodríguez (Comert, m.96); Remo Freuler (Ruben Vargas, m.115), Granit Xhaka; Fabian Rieder (Muheim, m.88), Djibrill Sow (Widmer, m.87), Dan Ndoye (Zeki Amdouni, m.87); Breel Plunger.
– Selector: Murat Yakin.
– Goals: 1-0: m.9: Mac Allister. 1-1 m.66: Ndoye. 2-1.m.112: Julián Álvarez. 3-1. M.122: Lautaro Martínez.
– Referee: Joao Pinheiro (Portugal). He expelled the Swiss Embolo for a double warning (ms.44 and 72). The second at the request of the VAR after he had cautioned the Argentine Paredes and warned him that, in reality, it was a yellow card for the Swiss striker for pretending. He admonished the Argentines Thiago Almada, Lautaro Martínez and José Manuel López.
– Incidents: Quarterfinal match of the 2026 World Cup played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City before 69,045 spectators. A minute of silence was observed, which was not respected by some Argentine ‘hype’, for the death of Jayden Adams, 25 years old, who played for South Africa in the three matches of the first phase. Argentina wore black armbands in memory of former international Antonio Rattin, who died this Saturday at the age of 89.
(With a report from Óscar González, from EFE)
This Tuesday and Wednesday! 🍿⚽#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup 🏆 (@fifaworldcup_es) July 12, 2026
