▲ Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates the victory after taking off his jersey.
Defending champion Argentina has advanced to the semifinals after a hard-fought extra-time victory against a 10-man Swiss side, moving one step closer to a second consecutive title.
Argentina won 3-1 after a grueling 120-minute match against Switzerland in the 2026 North and Central America World Cup quarterfinals, held at Kansas City Stadium in Missouri, USA, on July 12.
Argentine football star Lionel Messi failed to score in this match, ending his bid for a goal in 10 consecutive World Cup games, but he did provide the assist for the team's opening goal.
Having defeated Switzerland, Argentina will face England, who beat Norway 2-1 in extra time earlier today, for a spot in the final. The match is scheduled for 4:00 AM on July 16 at Atlanta Stadium in the United States.
The other semifinal match will feature France against Spain, taking place at 4:00 AM on July 15 at Dallas Stadium in the United States.
Argentina, which had remained undefeated against Switzerland in their last seven meetings over the past 60 years with 5 wins and 2 draws, scored the opening goal just 10 minutes into the first half, with the foot of the football legend Messi initiating the play.
In the 10th minute of the first half, during a left-sided corner kick, Alexis Mac Allister rose high on the left side of the goal area to redirect a ball delivered by Messi, finding the back of the Swiss net.
Switzerland launched a counterattack in the 20th minute of the first half when Djibril Sow fired a surprise mid-range shot from near the penalty arc, but it went straight to the goalkeeper and posed no major threat.
The two teams engaged in a fierce battle of nerves throughout the first half, committing a combined 21 fouls (9 by Argentina, 12 by Switzerland).
Both Argentina and Switzerland managed only 3 shots each during the first half, and ball possession was evenly split at 43% and 57%, respectively.
Trailing 0-1 at halftime, Switzerland pushed hard for an equalizer at the start of the second half, but to no avail.
In the 5th minute of the second half, Breel Embolo received a pass from the back and surged into the right side of the penalty area before squaring the ball to Dan Ndoye. Ndoye's right-footed shot was blocked by a defender, and the assistant referee raised the offside flag.
Ten minutes later, Embolo redirected a left-sided cross with his head from the center of the goal area, but it went straight to the goalkeeper. In the 20th minute of the second half, a powerful mid-range shot from Granit Xhaka was also denied by a super save from the goalkeeper.
Switzerland increased the intensity of their attacks, and in the 22nd minute of the second half, Ndoye scored the equalizer.
After exchanging a one-two pass with Ricardo Rodriguez on the left side of the penalty area, Ndoye penetrated the left side of the goal area and fired a right-footed shot through the goalkeeper's legs to find the net.
However, the joy was short-lived.
In the 27th minute of the second half, Switzerland faced a major setback when Embolo was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for simulation, leaving the team at a numerical disadvantage.
Argentina launched a powerful offensive late in the second half, but they were blocked by the desperate defensive efforts of the Swiss players, and the match eventually went into extra time.
After failing to score in the first half of extra time, Argentina finally broke through in the second half of extra time.
In the 7th minute of the second half of extra time, Julian Alvarez curled a brilliant right-footed shot from the left of the penalty arc into the top right corner of the Swiss goal. A clinching goal by Lautaro Martinez during a counterattack in stoppage time of the second half of extra time secured Argentina's ticket to the semifinals.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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