Álvarez breaks Swiss resistance as Argentina book England Semifinal
Julián Álvarez finally found his World Cup moment when Argentina needed it most. The Manchester City striker scored a stunning 112th-minute winner to send Argentina past Switzerland 3-1 and into a World Cup 2026 semifinal against England. On the night, the scoreline told only half the story. Switzerland went toe-to-toe with the world champions for 120 minutes and left feeling hard done by a key VAR call.
Against the run of play, Argentina struck first. Lionel Messi swung in a corner in the 10th minute, and Alexis Mac Allister beat Gregor Kobel to it, powering home a header despite being the smallest man in the box. From there, La Albiceleste sat back and let Switzerland have the ball. It worked until the 66th minute when Dan Ndoye sparked a rapid break, linked with Ricardo Rodríguez, and finished the left-back’s perfect cross to make it 1-1.
The game then stalled until controversy flipped it. Leandro Paredes was first shown a yellow for a foul on Breel Embolo. After a VAR review, the card was overturned. Embolo was instead booked for simulation — his second of the game — and Switzerland were reduced to 10 men.
Even a man up, Argentina couldn’t break down a Swiss defense that hadn’t trailed once in qualifying or the tournament. Murat Yakin’s side dropped deep and looked happy to roll the dice on penalties.
The striker had gone the whole tournament without a goal after being one of Argentina’s heroes in 2022. That changed in extra time. Picking the ball up on the left in the 112th minute, Álvarez cut inside and drilled an unstoppable shot into the top-right corner. Kobel had no chance.
With Switzerland pushing for an equalizer late, Argentina hit them on the break. Lautaro Martínez made it 3-1 in the 120th minute to seal it, though the margin flattered a team that had been under pressure all night.
Argentina now face England in the semifinals of a World Cup co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico. For Álvarez, the drought is over. For Switzerland, it’s heartbreak after a performance that deserved more.
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