FIFA World Cup 2026 Argentina vs Switzerland: Messi Creates History as Argentina Reach Semi-Finals

Lionel Messi has again proved why he is one of the greatest football players. He took Argentina to the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi finals after a 3-1 win against Switzerland in the quarter finals. This win has sent the defending champions straight into the semi finals for a big clash against England. 

In this match Messi didn’t even score a single goal himself but still made history. His assist for Argentina's opening goal took his tally to 10 assists at the World Cup which is the most by any player ever. He now broke the record and sits at the top position with most assists. 

Switzerland fought hard, took the game to extra time and in the end it was Julian Alvarez who scored the winning goal and put Argentina into a semi-final. Here is everything you need to know. 

Argentina vs Switzerland: Match At A Glance

Here is a quick overview of the match: 

Argentina vs Switzerland: How Argentina Reached the Semi-Finals

Argentina had a quick start and in just the 10th minute, Alexis Mac Allister with the help of Lionel Messi scored the lead with his goal. Switzerland kept the ball for a long time during the first half but wasn’t able to score a goal. 

In the second half of the match, Switzerland put up a tough fight and scored their first goal in the 67th minute when Dan Ndoye slipped a shot under goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Soon the match turned the tide again when Breel Embolo was sent away in the 72nd minute after he made a foul and received a yellow card. Switzerland played with 10 men for the rest of the half. 

The match was in draw for the entire second half and due to this it went into extra time. Switzerland defended and held out through the first half of extra time. However, in the 112th minute, Julian Alvarez scored another goal which gave the lead back to Argentina. Later during the extra time, Lautaro Martínez added a third goal and this sealed Argentina’s win which took them to the semi finals. 

Lionel Messi’s Historic Achievements

• Messi has now passed Miroslav Klose's mark of 16 goals during the group stage and kept adding to it. He now has 21 career World Cup goals which is the most by any player ever. 

• Lionel Messi has the longest scoring streak in the history of the World Cup where he has continuously scored in 9 World Cups straight. This streak began in the 2022 tournament. 

• Today marks his another achievement in World Cup history as Messi now has a total of 10 World cup assists. His corner kick in the quarter finals assisted Alexis Mac Allister to score the first goal for the team. 

• Messi also has the most World Cup appearances in the World Cup. He played his 30th World Cup match against Cape Verde in the round of 32. 

Messi’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Journey

By the end of the quarter-final match, Messi's career World Cup numbers now stand at 21 goals and 10 assists. He is the first player in the history of FIFA World Cup who has achieved this feat. Moreover, this mean is also important for Argentina as it extended their unbeaten run in World Cup matches to 12 games and the team will try to defend their last title.