Lionel Messi Gets 7/10 | Argentina Players Rated After Their Win Vs Switzerland In The FIFA World Cup 2026 | OneFootball

It was ugly. It was exhausting. But in the end, the world champions did what they always seem to do.

Argentina booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals after a brutal 120-minute scrap against a relentlessly stubborn Switzerland side at Kansas City Stadium. Alexis Mac Allister set the tone early on, nodding home a brilliant Lionel Messi corner inside ten minutes. Then the drop-off happened. Lionel Scaloni’s men took their foot off the gas in the second half, allowing Dan Ndoye to smash home a thoroughly deserved equaliser from a dangerous cross.

Alvarez is the extra-time hero as Argentina grind down ten-man Switzerland in the FIFA World Cup 2026

The match swung on a red card. Swiss forward Breel Embolo was sent off after picking up a second booking for diving. Despite the man advantage, Argentina had to sweat. It took until the 111th minute of extra time for Julián Alvarez to break the deadlock with a magnificent, curling finish into the top corner. Lautaro Martínez then turned a rebound into an open net with the final kick of the game, putting a slightly deceptive gloss on a chaotic evening in Kansas City.

Emiliano Martínez – 7

The Aston Villa goalkeeper commanded his box with total authority. He produced two massive saves, first dealing with an awkward, skipping effort from Granit Xhaka before pulling off a world-class flying stop in extra time. Completely blameless for the Swiss goal.

Nahuel Molina – 5

A frustrating night for the right-back. He looked completely restricted whenever he tried to venture forward and wasted a glorious second-half chance by blazing his shot wide. His positioning was suspect long before he was hooked.

Cristian Romero – 7

Aggressive and sturdy. He marshalled the defensive line brilliantly for over a hundred minutes, winning almost all his individual battles. He nearly scored with a powerful header that flashed wide and left the pitch empty.

Lisandro Martínez – 7

An absolute titan at the back. The Manchester United defender threw his body on the line, including a sensational block to deny a goal-bound Ndoye volley in the second half. He even forced a fine save from Gregor Kobel late on. Outstanding.

Nicolás Tagliafico – 6

Solid enough but largely unspectacular on the left side of the defence. He struggled to cope with Ndoye’s explosive pace at times before being substituted as Scaloni chased a more attacking shape.

Leandro Paredes – 6

The anchor-man found it incredibly difficult to dictate the tempo. He got bogged down in heavy midfield traffic and took several heavy knocks before finally coming off in extra time.

Rodrigo De Paul – 6

Ran his socks off as usual but lacked composure on the ball. He failed to find his targets in the final third far too often, even if his pressing work rate remained remarkably high until his substitution.

Enzo Fernández – 6

Showed a few moments of genuine class in possession. However, he struggled to consistently unlock a highly organised Swiss midfield block before making way at the start of extra time.

Alexis Mac Allister – 8

The Liverpool midfielder timed his run perfectly to surge into the six-yard box and head home the opening goal. He paired high-class distribution with relentless defensive tracking before dropping into a deeper midfield role later in the match.

Lionel Messi – 7

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JULY 11: Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match between Argentina and Switzerland at Kansas City Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

The skipper claimed yet another assist with an absolute peach of a corner kick. He looked dangerous every time he cut inside on his left foot, though Kobel thwarted him multiple times in the dying minutes of normal time.

Julián Álvarez – 8

He worked tirelessly up front without receiving any service during the regulation 90 minutes. A tactical shift out wide in extra time changed everything. He won the match with a moment of pure magic, curling a sublime effort into the top corner.

Substitutes

Nicolás González – 5

Offered very little after coming on. He lacked composure when it mattered most, skying a glorious opportunity deep into the stands.

Gonzalo Montiel – 6

Locked down the right flank efficiently after replacing Molina. He kept his head and avoided making any rash positioning errors during the tense extra-time period.

Lautaro Martínez – 7

Showed proper poacher instincts. He picked up a silly booking early on but stayed sharp enough to fire home a rebound after Almada’s initial shot was parried by Kobel.

Thiago Almada – 6

Brought a much-needed injection of energy into the final third. He hit the side netting with an ambitious long-range strike and forced a decent save from the Swiss keeper.

Nicolás Otamendi – 6

Brought on for the final fifteen minutes to provide some veteran experience and extra physical presence at the back.

José Manuel López – 7

A massive contribution from the late substitute, who showed great composure to pick out Alvarez for the crucial match-winning goal.