KANSAS CITY, Missouri — Argentina kept their dream of back-to-back World Cup titles alive on Saturday, defeating Switzerland 3-1 after extra time to advance to the semi-finals in a match full of drama and late-game tension.
It marked the third straight knockout round match in which Argentina found themselves in a nail-biting situation, but they once again came out on top.
Alexis Mac Allister got Argentina on the board early, heading home a Lionel Messi corner kick in the 10th minute. Switzerland responded, however, with Dan Ndoye finding the equalizer in the 67th minute to level the match and force extra time.
Switzerland’s chances took a major hit in the 72nd minute when Breel Embolo was sent off following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, leaving the Swiss a man down for the remainder of the contest.
Argentina capitalized on the advantage, with Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez both finding the net during extra time to put the match out of reach and secure the 3-1 final.
Argentina will now turn their attention to Wednesday’s semi-final matchup in Atlanta, where they will face England, who also advanced after defeating Norway 2-1 in extra time.
