44 min Paredes goes down on some contact with a sprinting Embolo at midfield, and referee João Pinheiro pulls out his yellow card to issue it to the Swiss player.
43 min … and the free-kick is not on frame. Freuler’s attempt is wide and Argentina will get it back on a goal kick.
43 min Switzerland win a free-kick just outside the penalty box.
41 min Messi tries to drop a ball on the break to Alvarez in a threatening bit of play, but Kobel is able to handle it before the young striker can get a shot off.
40 min Argentina seem content to let Switzerland hold possession and then seek their own opportunities on the counter. La Albiceleste haven’t had a shot since Mac Allister’s goal in the 10th minute.
38 min The Swiss continue to try the long balls over the top, but one from Elvedi goes straight out of bounds instead of to his teammates.
36 min Rieder takes Switzerland’s free-kick from just near the touchline, but Emi Martinez punches it away.
35 min Switzerland win their first corner after Xhaka’s ball over the top toward Rodriguez is tapped out, but the corner attempt is cleared away.
34 min Argentina have looked strong on the counter, but the shakiness at the back that was evident earlier in the knockout stage still seems to be there. That was nice work from both of their defensive Martinezes to stop a chance from Embolo.
32 min Embolo nearly gets a chance on a break, but he makes contact with the ball just as Lisandro Martinez puts him off from the side and Emi Martinez comes sliding out. Embolo couldn’t manage to get a shot off.
30 min Switzerland still have the edge in possession and even touches in the opposition box (7-2) but Sow’s shot right at Martinez remains their lone shot on target.
29 min … but they kick it back to E Martinez.
28 min Xhaka’s sliding tackle on De Paul is ruled a foul and Argentina win a free kick in their own half.
27 min Zakaria sends a nice ball into the box, but it’s immediately pinged away by Argentina defenders.
26 min Hydration break over. Argentina have possession as we restart.
Andy writes: “Although we have Fernet, national tipple of Argentina, for the hydration break, at this hour it has to be a strong coffee.” At this hour (9.25pm) I have opted for a sparkling water. Slightly less exciting than Fernet.
23 min Paredes draws a foul as we head into the first hydration break/advert break/snack break/etc break of the match.
21 min Strong sliding stop from Martinez (this time the center-back, not the keeper) to keep Switzerland from winning a corner.
20 min Sow gets Switzerland’s first quality chance from the top of the box, but his shot is straight at Martinez.
20 min Through the first 20 minutes, Switzerland have the possession advantage (60-40) but it still feels as though Argentina is very much in control.
18 min That was just the fourth goal Switzerland have conceded at this World Cup. Where will their response come from without the injured Johan Manzambi, who has been their primary goal threat at this tournament? That’s the question.
16 min The Swiss go on the break, but they’re stalled in the midfield.
14 min Switzerland are working the ball around their backline, but they have yet to challenge in the opposition box.
13 min That is the fastest goal for Argentina at this World Cup. A tall task for Switzerland has got a bit taller.
Lionel Messi’s corner was perfectly placed to Alexis Mac Allister, who headed it into the top corner. It took a mighty jump for the 5ft 9in (1.76m) midfielder to get through the Swiss defense, but he had the strength to do it. Another assist for Messi, who is up to 10 goal involvements at this tournament.
Messi’s corner finds the head of Mac Allister and Argentina are up!
9 min Messi takes the first corner and it skips off Mac Allister’s head. Another corner incoming.
9 min A patient start from both sides as we approach the 10-minute mark. Loud cheers for Messi’s first few involvements, including a ball off to Mac Allister. Mac Allister’s shot is knocked away for a corner.
7 min Xhaka’s shot from outside the box launches high into the crowd.
6 min Rieder wins a nice ball in the midfield and creates a good chance for Sow, but he can’t get a right foot on the ball.
6 min Switzerland are off to a composed start. The Argentina fans are coming through loud and clear, no matter where you’re watching from.
4 min Ndoye makes a nice run down the left flank, showing off his speed. Molina forces a goal kick.
1 min Argentina are wearing black armbands in honor of Antonio Rattín, the Boca Juniors and Albiceleste legend who died Saturday at 89.
1 min They’re under way!
Anthems under way in Kansas City.
Sroyon writes in: “Hello from West Bengal, just across the border from Bangladesh! It was my mum’s birthday two days ago, and the flower-seller had banners of Messi and Alvarez. When he found out that I’m an Argentina supporter too, he gave me a discount.”
If Switzerland win here, it would give us the first all-European last four since the 2018 World Cup. More intriguing: if they win, it will keep the hope alive of a first-time World Cup winner.
Here’s a lovely story from Peter Rehwaldt in Kansas City. I have been delighted by the stories of international visitors enjoying the delis, the ranch dressing, the baseball and the small towns of the US on their World Cup trips. This one may take the cake. (Or take the brisket?)
“No offense to the folks in Texas, Memphis, and the Carolinas, but Kansas City takes its BBQ very seriously. As a sign of how much KC has embraced their international visitors, however, having a local BBQ restaurant open their doors – and pits! – to Argentinian grillmasters is unheard of.
And yet it happened.
Similarly, Kansas City embraces its traditions of day-of-the-game tailgate parties outside the stadium, but Argentina has added another layer to that with their banderazo celebration the night BEFORE the big game.
Not to be outdone, local KC chocolatier Andre’s has lifted up their Swiss roots. All in all, Kansas City has really welcomed their international guests in a way that has to be seen to be believed.”
Bookings watch:
Argentina have only one player on a yellow card, and it’s Gonzalo Montiel, who starts this game on the bench.
Switzerland, meanwhile, will want two of their key starters to operate with caution as they can. Captain Granit Xhaka and right-back Denis Zakaria are both playing on yellows.
A reminder: the next yellow-card reset occurs after the quarter-final round.
What’s the secret to Lionel Messi’s genius? Walking. (It’s also the secret to my genius.)
I’m serious. (Not about me, though I wish it were.) According to Fifa’s tracking numbers, more than 60% of Messi’s movement at this World Cup has been recorded at a walking pace. Nearly 25% of his movement is spent standing still. It’s a sharp contrast with, say, Kylian Mbappé, who has moved at paces that would exceed driving limits at points of this tournament (he recorded one run at 37.6 km/h or 23.4mph). But it’s all part of Messi’s game. He waits for his moments, strolls into the area between the circle at midfield and the penalty box and then strikes with his trademark efficiency.
There was a lot of talk about the weather in today’s other quarter-final. The feels-like temperature in Miami was about 100 degrees Fahrenheit (about 38 degrees Celsius) and the city was under an excessive heat warning for Norway v England. It’s hot in Kansas City – a projection of 81 F (about 27 C) for kick-off – but the sun will have set by around 8.45pm local time.
If your local kick-off time is 2am or 3am, thanks for braving the night with us! If it’s Sunday where you are, good morning to you! A special hello to our Argentina fans/readers in Bangladesh. We’re happy you’re here!
Some early mail:
An astute observation from Andrew Goudie, who points out that“So far, one former champion has gone out at each stage: Italy (Qualifiers), Uruguay (group stage), Germany (round of 32), Brazil (round of 16). Argentina are going out today.”
An astute eye from Marcio Lana-Lopez, who fixes my silly misspelling of Uruguay’s Alcides Ghiggia, who scored in all four of his games at the 1950 World Cup. “He’s a true football hero in Uruguay, scored the final goal that exploded Brazilians’ hearts and minds in 1950’s World Cup, the famous Maracanazo.”
Argentina are back in Kansas City, the smallest of the North American host cities and where they played their tournament opener against Algeria. And their fans have shown up in full throng:
Here’s how our staff predicted the rest of the World Cup will play out. I predicted Argentina will reach the semi-finals but also picked Switzerland as my dark horse, so you can’t blame me either way. I liked Jonathan Wilson on Switzerland:
They somehow always manage to get further in tournaments than seems plausible; there’s something about them that seems to discourage proper analysis. And they can defend.
Here’s how the Golden Boot race looks. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé each have eight goals, but as of now Mbappé has the slight edge because of the assists tiebreaker. The Frenchman has three to Messi’s one.
Argentina are the joint-top scorers with 14 goals. What sets them apart, however, is their attacking variety with no other team having scored as many times outside the remit of what Opta deem regular play.
More from Andrew Beasley:
The whiplash of the Cape Verde and Egypt games was nothing new for Argentina fans. In their Cup-winning run in 2022, Argentina lost a lead no fewer than four times, including twice in the final against France. Great storytelling? Yes. Emotional mayhem? Certainly. A dangerous way to live? Also yes.
Without Johan Manzambi, Switzerland aren’t the scoring threat they had been earlier in this tournament. But if the Swiss can find a way through, Argentina may have a difficult time clawing back.
Gregor Kobel has not had the headlines or the standout single-game showings of some of the other goalkeepers at this tournament, but he’s quietly been one of the best of them. He has back-to-back clean sheets in the knockout round and has made 16 total saves. This is still his first major run with Switzerland (he took over from Yann Sommer after the 2024 Euros) but he does have experience leading the way through a knockout tournament: his play was a key reason why Dortmund reached the Champions League final in 2024.
The winner of this Argentina v Switzerland match will face England in the semi-finals:
Lionel Scaloni has no changes from the Argentina XI that staged a remarkable fightback against Egypt in the last 16. To no one’s surprise, Lionel Messi starts in what will be his 205th appearance for the national side.
Murat Yakin has one change to the Swiss XI he started against Colombia. Midfielder Ardon Jashari is out and Djibril Sow is in.
Argentina (poss 4-1-3-2): E Martinez; Tagliafico, L Martinez, Romero, Molina; Paredes; Fernandez, Mac Allister, De Paul; Alvarez, Messi
Switzerland (poss 4-2-3-1): Kobel; Zakaria, Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez; Freuler, Xhaka; Ndoye, Sow, Rieder; Embolo
Referee: João Pinheiro (Portugal)
A piece from Jonathan Wilson earlier in the tournament that I very much enjoyed: an interview with Luciana Alvarengue, the former maths teacher of Enzo Fernández and Julián Alvarez in Buenos Aires.
Lionel Messi, in case you didn’t know, is having quite the World Cup. He became the leading scorer in the history of the men’s tournament, recorded his 200th cap for Argentina, turned 39, fueled two remarkable finishes, and has a goal streak that stretches across six knockout matches, dating back to the 2022 final.
Here’s some trivia for your watch party. Only two players in World Cup history have scored in every match of a tournament-winning campaign. They were Alcides Ghiggia of Uruguay in 1950 and Jairzinho of Brazil in 1970. The main difference is that they each had fewer games to play: Ghiggia played four and Jairzinho played six.
Argentina and Switzerland have met seven times. The Swiss have never won.
One of the more notable encounters: the 2014 World Cup last 16, where Argentina won in extra time en route to their appearance in the final. Lionel Messi, Granit Xhaka and Ricardo Rodriguez all played that day in Brazil and will be on the field again today.
What’s Xhaka’s approach to stopping Messi?
I don’t know if we can stop him over 90 minutes. It’s going to be very difficult. We have to be smart. We’ll have to be compact, close the gaps and not give him too many spaces. We will try, obviously, to play in possession when we have the ball, and he won’t be able to act as much. We’ll just try to play our game and not allow him to play the ball.
Argentina will need Lionel Messi and much more against Switzerland. They will need to stay in high gear for longer stretches. They cannot rely on vibes alone as they have sometimes seemed to this summer. Yet to many, the chaotic energy of this Argentina side is exactly why they are beloved. Perhaps Lionel Scaloni is among them.
“Football is this, not just tactics and strategies,” he said, his voice tinged with emotion after the Egypt match. “Those things are important, no doubt, but if we hadn’t had the heart we had, we would’ve been out.”
Jude Bellingham has put England ahead in the other quarter-final.
Meanwhile, we should have team news shortly for Argentina v Switzerland. A bit more than 90 minutes until kick-off in Kansas City.
In Miami, where it’s quite hot and quite tense, Norway and England are going to extra time in the other quarter-final. Scott Murray has all the updates:
Hello and welcome to the fourth and final quarter-final of this World Cup!
Argentina v Switzerland. The holders v the underdogs. The side that have three World Cups v the side that have never reached the last four. Pure process v pure emotional chaos. A spot in Wednesday’s semi-final against either Norway or England in Atlanta is on the line. If Argentina win, their quest to become the first team to claim back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1962 remains alive. If Switzerland win, they will continue the best major tournament run in their history and ensure an all-European last four.
How did we get here? After cruising through the group stage, Argentina survived two major scares in the knockout round: first against Cape Verde in extra time in the last 32, then against Egypt in the last 16. They needed stoppage-time heroics and the benefit of an own goal in the former to avoid what might have been the greatest upset in the history of professional sport. In the latter, they trailed 2-0 until the 79th minute. It was Lionel Messi, per usual, who spearheaded a 10-minute swing and pushed his team into the quarter-finals.
Switzerland are in the final eight of the World Cup for the first time since 1954. The Group B winners beat Algeria in the last 32 and then survived a tense chess match of a last-16 game against Colombia before escaping on penalties. Their veteran core has been very good at knockout football in recent years, but much of their success at this tournament has come from the attacking exploits of 20-year-old Johan Manzambi, who has three goals and two assists in two appearances. In a blow to the Nati, he missed the last 16 and is out again with a knee injury for this game.
Can Switzerland pull a shock? Will Messi’s magic strike again? I’ll be back soon with team news. In the meantime, send any thoughts to ella.brockway@theguardian.com, and tune in to the end of Norway v England, which seems bound for extra time.
