Argentina Survive Ten-Man Switzerland Scare to Reach World Cup Semi-Finals

Argentina needed extra time to see off a determined 10-man Switzerland and book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, winning 3-1 in Kansas City.

Alexis Mac Allister gave Argentina an early lead inside the first ten minutes, and it looked to be a comfortable afternoon until Dan Ndoye pulled Switzerland level midway through the second half. The game then turned five minutes later when Breel Embolo, already on a yellow card from the first half, picked up a second caution and was sent off, leaving Switzerland to defend their equaliser a man short.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Switzerland held firm through the remainder of normal time and forced the tie into extra time. Argentina's extra bodies eventually told, with Julian Alvarez restoring the lead just after the restart of extra time, before Lautaro Martinez added a third deep into stoppage time to put the result beyond doubt.

It was a stretched, feisty finish overall, with Argentina picking up three second-half and extra-time bookings of their own through Thiago Almada, Martinez, and Jose Manuel Lopez as fatigue and frustration crept in late on.

The win extends Argentina's dominant run through the tournament and sets up a heavyweight semi-final clash against England, who edged past Norway in their own extra-time thriller. For Switzerland, the exit ends an otherwise credible campaign, undone by the numerical disadvantage they were forced to play with for almost 50 minutes.