Alexis Mac Allister Header Launches Argentina Past Switzerland and Into England Semifinal
Alexis Mac Allister headed in Messi's corner after 10 minutes as Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 in extra time to reach a 2026 World Cup semifinal with England.
KANSAS CITY — Ten minutes was all Alexis Mac Allister needed to bend this quarterfinal his way. Lionel Messi curled a corner toward the far post, the Liverpool midfielder arrived unmarked, and his firm header past Gregor Kobel set Argentina on the road to a 3-1 extra-time win over Switzerland — and a World Cup semifinal against England.
The early lead promised a comfortable evening. Switzerland had other ideas. Kobel kept the deficit at one with a string of saves, and the Swiss grew into the game until Dan Ndoye finished a counter-attack in the 67th minute. At 1-1 through 90 minutes, Argentina were headed to extra time for the third knockout round in a row.
Scaloni's bet on the same eleven
Lionel Scaloni named an unchanged starting lineup and then asked it to run for two hours. The gamble held. In the 112th minute Julián Alvarez collected the ball at the edge of the box and drove a right-footed shot beyond Kobel's reach. Deep in added time of the second extra period, Thiago Almada's effort was blocked and Lautaro Martínez pounced on the rebound to close it out at 3-1.
The pattern is now familiar, if exhausting: three straight knockout matches decided after the 90th minute, and three times the defending champions have found the extra gear. Whatever questions hang over this aging squad, stamina in the moments that decide tournaments is not one of them.
Mac Allister's moment
The opener carried a family echo. Mac Allister, 27, is the son of former Argentina defender Carlos "Colorado" Mac Allister, and a world champion himself from Qatar 2022. At Liverpool he is valued for control rather than headlines. On Saturday night in Kansas City the headlines found him anyway — one run, one leap, one goal that put the holders in front and never let Switzerland settle.
England next, in Atlanta
The semifinal pairing has an edge to it. England reached the last four earlier on Saturday by outlasting Norway, also in extra time, and now stand between Argentina and a second consecutive final. Atlanta hosts the meeting; two squads that refuse to lose inside 90 minutes will find out which one has more left.
