Julian Álvarez produced the decisive moment as Argentina edged Switzerland 3-1 at Kansas City Stadium, firing a powerful long-range effort in stoppage time to push the defending champions into the World Cup semi-finals.
Argentina had a numerical advantage after Breel Embolo was shown a second yellow card in the 72nd minute, leaving Switzerland to finish the contest with ten men. Despite the extra space, the team in light blue struggled to break through before the referee’s whistle ended regular time.
Switzerland were still defending for their lives in the 111th minute when Álvarez decided to go alone. He curled a shot past goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to restore Argentina’s lead deep into extra time.
The match began with Argentina taking control early. In the 10th minute, Alexis Mac Allister found the breakthrough with a header to make it 1-0. However, after that opening strike, Argentina’s next on-target attempt did not arrive until the 90th minute.
Switzerland struck back in the 67th minute through Dan Ndoye to level the scores at 1-1. The contest then tilted again soon after, as Embolo was dismissed for a second booking following a VAR review, with the decision indicating he had gone down under contact.
Lautaro Martínez then put the result beyond doubt, scoring in the 121st minute to seal a 3-1 win for Argentina.
Argentina’s next match is a semi-final against old rivals England, who overcame Norway in extra time. The game is set for Wednesday in Atlanta.
