Lionel Scaloni admits Switzerland made Argentina suffer, and has called for his team to carry out improvements ahead of facing England.

Lionel Scaloni did not hide the fact that Argentina had to work extremely hard to eliminate Switzerland in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals. Despite eventually securing a 3-1 win after extra time, the La Albiceleste head coach admitted his side came under pressure on multiple occasions, and there are still many issues that need to be fixed ahead of their semi-final clash against England.

Argentina booked their spot in the last four after defeating Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the quarter-final fixture held at Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City, Sunday 12 July 2026 WIB. After the match finished 1-1 over 90 minutes, Argentina sealed the victory through goals from Julian Alvarez in the 112th minute and Lautaro Martinez in the 120+1st minute.

"The reality is we struggled today. We knew this is a very physically aggressive side. I think they really put us in a very difficult position," Scaloni stated, as quoted on the official FIFA website.

Argentina had started the match strongly, with Alexis Mac Allister putting his side ahead in the 10th minute. However Switzerland hit back through Dan Ndoye in the 67th minute, leaving the game wide open once again.

The momentum of the match shifted just five minutes later. Switzerland forward Breel Embolo was sent off by the referee in the 72nd minute after receiving his second yellow card, which automatically resulted in a red card. Despite having a numerical advantage for the remainder of normal time, Argentina remained unable to break down Switzerland's disciplined defence, with the 1-1 scoreline holding until the end of the second half.

It was only once extra time began that Argentina were able to capitalise on their player advantage. Julian Alvarez broke the deadlock in the 112th minute, before Lautaro Martinez confirmed the win with a goal during extra time injury time, exactly at the 120+1st minute mark.

Scaloni acknowledged that Embolo's dismissal was one of the key moments that allowed his side to take control of the match. However he stressed that this win must not cause Argentina to ignore the clear weaknesses that were on display throughout the game.

"We couldn't find our way out of certain situations. Today luck was on our side, with the opposition losing a player. From that point onwards we were able to start building our attacks," Scaloni added.

"We have to be realistic. There are still things we need to improve, but getting the win is always the better outcome, of course."

This victory keeps Argentina on track to defend the World Cup title they won in the previous tournament. Should they lift the trophy once again, Lionel Messi and his teammates will make history by winning back-to-back World Cups.

In the semi-final round, Argentina will face England, who previously knocked out Norway with a 2-1 scoreline. This meeting between two traditional giants of world football is already predicted to be one of the most high-profile matches of the entire 2026 World Cup.

The remaining place in the final will be contested between France and Spain. Argentina are also the only remaining representative from the Americas, with all three other semi-finalists hailing from Europe.

This result also confirms that there will be no first-time World Cup winner in 2026. Morocco, Norway and Switzerland, all of whom were chasing their first ever world title, have all had their campaigns ended at the quarter-final stage.