Argentina Reaches World Cup Semis, Faces England Wednesday

Forty years after Diego Maradona's legendary performance against England, Lionel Messi gets his chance to write his own chapter in one of football's greatest rivalries.

Argentina punched their ticket to the 2026 World Cup semifinals on Saturday with a hard-fought 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in Kansas City. The defending champions will face England on Wednesday in a matchup that has fans around the world buzzing with anticipation.

The game started perfectly for Argentina when Messi swung in a beautiful corner kick in the 10th minute. Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister rose above two defenders and powered a header past the Swiss goalkeeper, sending the 69,000 fans at Arrowhead Stadium into a frenzy.

Switzerland refused to give up. Dan Ndoye equalized in the 67th minute with a calm finish that suddenly made Argentina look vulnerable.

The game's momentum shifted dramatically five minutes later when Swiss striker Breel Embolo received a controversial second yellow card for simulation. After reviewing the footage, the referee decided Embolo had faked a fall, leaving Switzerland to play with 10 men for the rest of the match.

"The rules are the rules, but in my opinion it's a decision that kills the game," Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka said afterward. His team had been appearing in their first World Cup quarterfinal in 72 years.

Down a player, Switzerland fought bravely to reach a penalty shootout. Their goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made brilliant saves against Messi and Mac Allister as extra time wore on.

Then Julián Álvarez produced magic. In the 112th minute, the striker unleashed a spectacular shot from outside the box that rocketed into the top corner. It was his first goal of the tournament and couldn't have come at a better time.

Lautaro Martínez sealed the victory with a breakaway goal in stoppage time. As the final whistle blew, Argentine fans began chanting songs about their upcoming clash with England.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

This semifinal carries weight far beyond the pitch. When Argentina and England last met at the World Cup in 1986, Maradona scored both the infamous "Hand of God" goal and the "Goal of the Century" in the same match, just four years after the South Atlantic War between the two nations.

Now, at age 39, Messi will finally face England at a World Cup for the first time. He remains joint-top scorer in the tournament with eight goals alongside France's Kylian Mbappé, and just recorded his 10th career World Cup assist.

"It's a football match. Let's not make it anything else," said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, trying to downplay the historic tension.

But everyone knows Wednesday's semifinal will be anything but ordinary for two nations whose football rivalry runs deeper than almost any other in the sport.