Argentina etched another golden chapter at the 2026 World Cup. Julián Álvarez’s stunning long-range strike in the 112nd minute sealed a 2-1 quarter-final win over Switzerland and booked La Albiceleste’s spot in the semi-finals.

What happened in the match?

On Saturday, July 12, Argentina faced Switzerland in the World Cup quarter-finals. Lionel Scaloni’s side started strong: at nine minutes, Alexis Mac Allister headed in from a corner. But the Europeans equalised before half-time through Dan Ndoye, and the game went to extra time after a 1-1 draw in regulation.

Switzerland were reduced to ten men after Breel Embolo was sent off for a second yellow, and at 112 minutes Álvarez struck: a curling effort that beat the keeper at the near post. Lautaro Martínez added a third in stoppage time to make it 3-1 and secure the semi-final berth.

Why this goal matters

Álvarez’s strike wasn’t just any goal. It came at the perfect moment: in knockout football, the Córdoba forward now has four goals in elimination matches. That ties him with Diego Armando Maradona, who also scored four times in decisive World Cup games — two against England in the quarter-finals and two against Belgium in the semi-finals, all at Mexico 1986.

It also places Álvarez second on Argentina’s all-time knockout-phase scoring list, behind only Lionel Messi, who has seven goals in this stage. Messi’s latest knockout strikes came in the 3-0 semi-final win over Croatia at Qatar 2022, but in the 2026 World Cup he already has two: one against Cabo Verde in the Round of 16 and another against Egypt in the quarter-finals.

What’s next for Argentina?

La Albiceleste are through to the semi-finals. Their next opponent is England, on Wednesday, July 15 at 16:00 in Atlanta. Argentina’s last result was the 3-1 victory over Switzerland on July 12, and they’ve now strung together five straight wins at the 2026 World Cup.