ulian Alvarez scored a breathtaking goal as Argentina battled past 10-man Switzerland 3-1 after extra time on Saturday (Jul 11), setting up a mouthwatering World Cup semi-final against bitter rivals England.

Fans of the South American team dominated the stands in Kansas City and were celebrating as early as the 10th minute when their hero Lionel Messi set up Alexis Mac Allister's opener.

Switzerland levelled midway through the second half through Dan Ndoye, but minutes later disaster struck when Embolo was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for simulation.

The match went to extra time and Switzerland snuffed out wave after wave of attacks until Alvarez curled a breathtaking strike into the top corner in the 112th minute.

Lautaro Martinez added gloss with a late third.

"We had to suffer a lot but we knew they were a physical team," said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.

"We had many difficulties. Sometimes we couldn't find the solutions, but today we had luck on our side because one of their players was sent off."

The hard-fought victory for Lionel Scaloni's men at the Kansas City Stadium means the top four teams in the FIFA rankings will contest the semi-finals of the 2026 tournament.

Argentina are now unbeaten in their past 12 World Cup matches as they attempt to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain their World Cup crown.

The South Americans swept through the group phase but struggled past minnows Cape Verde and needed a spectacular comeback against Egypt.

Saturday's game was another attritional affair against a Swiss team seeking to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time.