Pure Grit! Argentina Suffers but Beats Switzerland, Advances to 2026 World Cup Semifinals

Argentina suffered once again but made it to the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup: they beat Switzerland 3-1 in the quarterfinals after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. With goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Julián Álvarez, and Lautaro Martínez, the ‘Albiceleste’ advanced to the top four nations and will face England next Wednesday in search of repeating the final they reached in Qatar 2022.

Emiliano Martínez (6): steady in his interventions and with little responsibility for the goal, he was very precise with long balls to set up his teammates.

Nahuel Molina (4): despite some promising forward runs, Switzerland’s goal came from his side and he lost his marker on that play.

Cristian Romero (7): solid in defense, he didn’t lose any individual duels and provided balance when everyone pushed forward to seek victory.

Lisandro Martínez (6): didn’t show the security of other matches but joined the attack when Switzerland went down to ten men.

Nicolás Tagliafico (5): an average night for the left-back, who didn’t contribute in attack and was correct defensively.

Leandro Paredes (7): once again proved why he is a key piece in midfield. Recovery and distribution in the final stretch, another great performance from the Boca midfielder.

Rodrigo De Paul (3): another poor showing from ‘Motorcito’. He had no influence in midfield to distribute the ball and struggled in marking; the opponent’s goal came from his side, which he was supposed to defend alongside Molina.

Alexis Mac Allister (7): from high to low, the Liverpool midfielder’s best performance in the tournament. He opened the scoring with a great header from a corner but faded in the second half.

Lionel Messi (6): a lackluster match from the star, who nevertheless took charge of the ball in the final minutes.

Julián Álvarez (9): fought up front and won several duels against Swiss defenders. He had no clear chances on goal for most of the match, but unleashed a thunderous strike for the 2-1 and sent the national team into a frenzy.

Nicolás González (7): came on to add more dynamism to the Albiceleste attack and had some runs down the left flank, though without much clarity. Key in defense, he stole the ball that led to the third goal.

Gonzalo Montiel (5): few interventions from the River right-back, who replaced Molina. He had virtually no defensive action with Switzerland’s entire defense packed in their own area.

Lautaro Martínez (7): sealed the match with a goal at the end of extra time.

Thiago Almada (7): another great contribution from Argentina’s bench in extra time. He took charge of the ball alongside Messi, pulled the strings in attack, and sought the few spaces the rival defense allowed.

Nicolás Otamendi (6): a beast in aerial duels in the final minutes when the opponent tried to find him with long balls.

José Manuel López (7): absolute composure on his first touch, giving the play an extra moment in attack, finding Julián, and assisting him for a great goal from the Atlético de Madrid forward.

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