World Cup 2026 pages
Sports · World Cup 2026 · Quarter-final
Argentinavs
Switzerland
3–1 aet
Full time · Saturday, July 11, 2026 · 9:00 p.m. ET · Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium), Kansas City, MO
Result
Argentina came through their toughest test of the tournament, beating Switzerland 3-1 after extra time at Arrowhead Stadium to reach the World Cup semi-finals. Alexis Mac Allister headed the champions in front on 10 minutes from Lionel Messi's corner, only for Dan Ndoye to level for Switzerland on 67 from Ricardo Rodríguez's pass. Reduced to ten men when Breel Embolo was sent off for a second yellow on 72, Switzerland held on to 1-1 through ninety, but Julián Álvarez's curling strike on 112 and a Lautaro Martínez breakaway in the second half of extra time settled it. Argentina, who dominated the ball and the shot count 22-11, meet England in Atlanta on 15 July. Argentina advance to the semi-finals.
Argentina 4-1-3-24-2-3-1 SwitzerlandArgentinaSubstitutions
At this Stage
Argentina are into the World Cup semi-finals, but Switzerland made the champions earn every yard of it. Lionel Scaloni's side had won all five matches coming in — a perfect Group J, Cabo Verde and Egypt survived in the knockouts — and struck early when Alexis Mac Allister headed in Lionel Messi's corner on 10 minutes. Switzerland, in their first quarter-final since 1954, refused to fold: Dan Ndoye levelled on 67 from Ricardo Rodríguez's pass, and even after Breel Embolo was sent off for a second yellow on 72 they held Argentina to 1-1 through 90. Extra time decided it — Julián Álvarez curled in from outside the box on 112 and Lautaro Martínez broke clear in stoppage time for 3-1. Argentina march on to an Atlanta semi-final against England on 15 July; Switzerland's finest World Cup run in seven decades ends in the last eight.
Round of 16
Quarter-final
Semi-final
What we know now
Venue: Kansas City Stadium
Attendance: 69,045
Watch: FOX in English (free over the air, stream free on Tubi, or on Fox One) and Telemundo in Spanish (stream on Peacock or the Telemundo app).
What I said beforehand
The preview, frozen at kickoff. Clearly dated, never rewritten — that's the deal that makes the predictions worth anything.
Argentina to advance. Scaloni's reigning champions have won all five matches — including a stirring comeback from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 — and Lionel Messi leads the tournament with eight goals. Switzerland reached a first quarter-final since 1954 the hard way, edging Colombia on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes, and Murat Yakin's side defend stoutly behind Granit Xhaka. But Argentina carry far more firepower — Messi, Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez in reserve — and should have too much. Argentina by two, though the Swiss will make them work for it.
My locked pick: Argentina advance ✓ RIGHT
“Argentina to advance. Scaloni's reigning champions have won all five matches — including a stirring comeback from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 — and Lionel Messi leads the tournament with eight goals. Yakin's Switzerland reached a first quarter-final since 1954 on penalties and defend stoutly, but Argentina carry far more firepower across the pitch. Argentina by two.”
Locked 2026-07-08 01:16 UTC — rendered verbatim from the pick ledger; never a fresher, hedged version
The case for Argentina
68% to winArgentina are the world champions, unbeaten and peaking at the right time — five wins from five, a rescue act against Egypt that showed their nerve, and Lionel Messi orchestrating everything with eight goals already. Behind him, Scaloni can call on Julián Álvarez, Lautaro Martínez and a midfield of Mac Allister, De Paul and Enzo Fernández that controls tempo against anyone. Against a Switzerland side that has scored just once across its last two knockout games, Argentina's quality in the final third should be decisive.
The case for Switzerland
12% to winSwitzerland have made a habit of the improbable — clean sheets in normal time through the knockouts, a shootout won against Colombia, and a defensive structure under Murat Yakin that frustrates better sides. Gregor Kobel is in form, Granit Xhaka drives them from deep, and if they can keep it tight and drag Argentina into another tense, low-scoring night, penalties are a leveller they have already survived once. Beating the champions would be the upset of the tournament — but they are built to make it awkward.
Both cases written 2026-07-08, before kickoff — they freeze into the record exactly as written, however the match goes. The percentages are mine, quoted to a decimal because false precision is funnier — the unclaimed 20% belongs to the draw.
Storylines
- Argentina reached the World Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 extra-time win over Switzerland; Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez struck in extra time after the tie was locked at 1-1.
- Alexis Mac Allister headed the champions in front on 10 minutes from a Lionel Messi corner, but Dan Ndoye equalised for Switzerland on 67 with a finish from a tight angle.
- Switzerland, in their first World Cup quarter-final since 1954, played the closing stages a man down after Breel Embolo was shown a second yellow on 72 — yet held out until extra time.
- Argentina now meet England in an Atlanta semi-final on 15 July; Lionel Messi, the tournament's leading scorer, set up the opener but did not add to his tally.
The coaches
Lionel Scaloni Argentina
His champions needed extra time and the extra man to break a resolute Switzerland, winning 3-1 after Mac Allister, Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez struck; into the semi-finals against England.
Murat Yakin Switzerland
Took Switzerland to a first World Cup quarter-final since 1954 and had the champions pegged at 1-1 late on, but Embolo's dismissal and two extra-time goals ended a landmark run in the last eight.
Availability
| Johan Manzambi | Out — knee injury; Fabian Rieder again started at No. 10 in his place | Sports Illustrated / RotoWire |
| Lionel Messi | Available — started and set up the opener with a corner for Mac Allister | ESPN / NBC match |
Availability drifts hourly in tournament week — every row carries its source and date for exactly that reason.
Weather: Arrowhead Stadium is open-air, and the warm, humid Kansas City evening prompted a drinks break midway through the first half; otherwise clear for the 9 p.m. ET kickoff. (Venue note (open-air); cooling break per ESPN match timeline (11 Jul 2026), as of 2026-07-12)
Referee: João Pedro da Silva Pinheiro (Portugal). An all-Portuguese on-field crew — assistants Bruno Jesus and Luciano Maia — with Canada's Drew Fischer as fourth official. (FIFA quarter-final appointment (Law 5 – The Referee tracker, 9 Jul 2026); confirmed on the ESPN match data., as of 2026-07-12)
Venue: Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium), Kansas City, MO, United States — FIFA strips sponsor names for the tournament; the everyday name is in parentheses.