Argentina survived a fierce challenge from Switzerland to advance to the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, winning 3-1 in extra time in a hard-fought quarter-final at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on Saturday. The defending champions will now face England in Atlanta on Wednesday in a match laden with historical and political significance.

Argentina took the lead as early as the 10th minute when Lionel Messi, taking a corner, set up Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister to glance a header into the far corner — Messi's 10th assist across six World Cup tournaments. Switzerland, however, refused to be overawed and levelled in the 67th minute when Dan Ndoye swept home after a clever pass from Ricardo Rodriguez. The match appeared to be swinging in the Swiss favour when a controversial moment changed everything: forward Breel Embolo, already booked in the 44th minute, was dismissed in the 72nd minute after a VAR review concluded he had dived to win a free kick. Under FIFA's mistaken identity protocol, the original yellow card shown to Argentina's Leandro Paredes was rescinded and transferred to Embolo, producing an automatic second yellow and a red. The ruling left Switzerland's coaching staff bewildered and Embolo himself in tears. Coach Murat Yakin was scathing: