MUNDIAL·26

Quarter-final · Sunday, July 12 · Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City · 69,045 in the stands

kickoff 20:00 local · 29°C · 60% humidity

Argentina

10′ Alexis MAC ALLISTER (pen)

112′ Julian ALVAREZ (pen)

120+1′ Lautaro MARTINEZ (pen)

3:1

after extra time

Switzerland

67′ Dan NDOYE (pen)

tap a player for their match file

Argentina4-1-3-2
Switzerland4-2-3-1
Emiliano MARTINEZ6.8Nicolas TAGLIAFICO6.7Lisandro MARTINEZ7.1Cristian ROMERO6.8Nahuel MOLINA6.6Leandro PAREDES7.3Rodrigo DE PAUL6.8Alexis MAC ALLISTER8.3Enzo FERNANDEZ6.6Julian ALVAREZ7.5Lionel MESSI8.2Gregor KOBEL5.6Nico ELVEDI7.1Manuel AKANJI6.0Ricardo RODRIGUEZ7.2Denis ZAKARIA6.3Remo FREULER6.7Granit XHAKA6.7Djibril SOW6.8Fabian RIEDER6.4Breel EMBOLO5.1Dan NDOYE7.5
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′105′125′ARGSUI

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 10′MacAllister0.14 xG
  • 67′Ndoye0.14 xG
  • 112′Alvarez0.03 xG
  • 120+1′Martinez0.28 xG
ARG 0:0 SUI0'kickoff
1' Zakaria — xG 0.02 · Blocked7' Xhaka — xG 0.02 · Missed9' MacAllister — xG 0.06 · Blocked9' MacAllister — xG 0.08 · Missed10' MacAllister — xG 0.14 · Goal20' Sow — xG 0.03 · Saved47' Rieder — xG 0.06 · Blocked50' Molina — xG 0.05 · Missed52' Alvarez — xG 0.05 · Blocked55' Ndoye — xG 0.05 · Blocked60' Embolo — xG 0.08 · Saved65' Ndoye — xG 0.03 · Saved66' Xhaka — xG 0.02 · Saved67' Ndoye — xG 0.14 · Goal89' MacAllister — xG 0.38 · Missed91' Martinez — xG 0.05 · Blocked91' Gonzalez — xG 0.11 · Blocked90 + 2' Messi — xG 0.04 · Missed92' Alvarez — xG 0.02 · Missed90 + 3' Gonzalez — xG 0.01 · Missed93' Almada — xG 0.06 · Saved95' Almada — xG 0.02 · Post90 + 9' Martinez — xG 0.08 · Saved99' Xhaka — xG 0.02 · Missed103' Messi — xG 0.04 · Blocked105' Jashari — xG 0.01 · Missed105 + 1' Martinez — xG 0.04 · Blocked105 + 2' Romero — xG 0.04 · Missed112' Messi — xG 0.07 · Saved112' Alvarez — xG 0.03 · Goal119' Messi — xG 0.10 · Blocked120 + 1' Almada — xG 0.26 · Saved120 + 1' Martinez — xG 0.28 · Goal

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

ARG 0:0 SUI
1.02.00′15′30′45′60′75′90′105′120′10' MacAllister — GOAL67' Ndoye — GOAL112' Alvarez — GOAL120 + 1' Martinez — GOAL2.010.48

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

ARG 4-1-3-2 attack →, ← SUI 4-2-3-1 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

23Emiliano MARTINEZEmiliano MARTINEZ3Nicolas TAGLIAFICONicolas TAGLIAFICO6Lisandro MARTINEZLisandro MARTINEZ13Cristian ROMEROCristian ROMERO26Nahuel MOLINANahuel MOLINA5Leandro PAREDESLeandro PAREDES7Rodrigo DE PAULRodrigo DE PAUL20Alexis MAC ALLISTERAlexis MAC ALLISTER24Enzo FERNANDEZEnzo FERNANDEZ9Julian ALVAREZJulian ALVAREZ10Lionel MESSILionel MESSI1Gregor KOBELGregor KOBEL4Nico ELVEDINico ELVEDI5Manuel AKANJIManuel AKANJI13Ricardo RODRIGUEZRicardo RODRIGUEZ6Denis ZAKARIADenis ZAKARIA8Remo FREULERRemo FREULER10Granit XHAKAGranit XHAKA15Djibril SOWDjibril SOW22Fabian RIEDERFabian RIEDER7Breel EMBOLOBreel EMBOLO11Dan NDOYEDan NDOYE

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

55%
Possession
37%
1.99
Expected goals
0.44
64
Threat
36
22
Shots
11
7
On target
5
629
Passes completed
404
39
Forced turnovers
43
15.3s
Ball recovery time
19.4s
1.62
High-press phases
7.14
14
Fouls committed
14
4
Offsides
3
137 km
Distance covered
138 km
35.0 km/h
Top speed
33.6 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. Argentina attack →, ← Switzerland attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 10′Alexis MAC ALLISTER (Argentina) scores!!
  2. 44′Breel EMBOLO (Switzerland) is booked by the referee.
  3. 67′Dan NDOYE (Switzerland) scores!!
  4. 72′Breel EMBOLO (Switzerland) is booked for the second time and receives a red card!
  5. 78′Nico GONZALEZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Nicolas TAGLIAFICO (out) (Argentina)
  6. 85′Lautaro MARTINEZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Rodrigo DE PAUL (out) (Argentina)
  7. 85′Gonzalo MONTIEL (in) comes off the bench to replace Nahuel MOLINA (out) (Argentina)
  8. 86′Miro MUHEIM (in) comes off the bench to replace Fabian RIEDER (out) (Switzerland)
  9. 86′Silvan WIDMER (in) comes off the bench to replace Djibril SOW (out) (Switzerland)
  10. 86′Zeki AMDOUNI (in) comes off the bench to replace Dan NDOYE (out) (Switzerland)
  11. 90+5′Eray COEMERT (in) comes off the bench to replace Ricardo RODRIGUEZ (out) (Switzerland)
  12. ′Thiago ALMADA (in) comes off the bench to replace Enzo FERNANDEZ (out) (Argentina)
  13. 96′Ardon JASHARI (in) comes off the bench to replace Denis ZAKARIA (out) (Switzerland)
  14. 97′Thiago ALMADA (Argentina) is booked by the referee.
  15. 98′Lautaro MARTINEZ (Argentina) is booked by the referee.
  16. ′Nicolas OTAMENDI (in) comes off the bench to replace Cristian ROMERO (out) (Argentina)
  17. 110′Jose Manuel LOPEZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Leandro PAREDES (out) (Argentina)
  18. 112′Julian ALVAREZ (Argentina) scores!!
  19. 114′Jose Manuel LOPEZ (Argentina) is booked by the referee.
  20. 115′Ruben VARGAS (in) comes off the bench to replace Remo FREULER (out) (Switzerland)
  21. 120+1′Lautaro MARTINEZ (Argentina) scores!!

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

Embolo's dismissal; Argentina's delayed breakthrough

Argentina controlled possession from the start (55%), scoring in the 10th minute. Switzerland pressed relentlessly with 7.1 high-press phases, keeping Argentina at bay despite their possession advantage. The match turned decisively at 72 minutes when Breel Embolo's red card dismantled Switzerland's aggressive setup. Messi and Mac Allister (8.2 and 8.3 ratings) maintained Argentina's rhythm thereafter, though the expected avalanche never materialised.

Argentina's xG of 1.99 masked imprecision: they squandered a clear chance (0.38 xG) at 89 minutes that should have ended it. Switzerland's 0.44 xG reflected offensive poverty despite their aggressive press—their pressing suffocated by Embolo's absence in extra time. Messi and Lautaro Martinez (8.2, 8.0) drove Argentina through, converting low-xG chances (0.03, 0.28) to seal it. Ball recovery times favoured Argentina (15.3s vs 19.4s); they outlasted a team reduced to ten.

Switzerland forced 43 turnovers and pressed 7.1 times but created just 0.44 xG—a masterclass in defensive intensity without attacking reward.

72′

Embolo's dismissal removed Switzerland's pressing anchor; ten-man football ahead of extra time proved untenable.

What Argentina needed

Midfield control (Mac Allister 8.3, Messi 8.2) won it; survived the 89-minute miss that should have finished it sooner.

  • 55% possession and 22 shots established superiority Argentina never relinquished despite Switzerland's aggressive press.
  • Ball recovery advantage (15.3s vs 19.4s) allowed Argentina to control tempo; faster refreshes won the attritional extra time.
  • Extra-time finishes at 0.03 and 0.28 xG seem fortunate until you recall Argentina created 1.99 xG overall.

What Switzerland needed

A clinical finisher would have exploited their 43 forced turnovers and 7.1 high-press phases; 0.44 xG was fatal.

  • 7.1 high-press phases and 43 forced turnovers created openings—but without a No. 9 to finish, they came to nothing.
  • Embolo's dismissal at 72 came right after their 67-minute equalizer; ten-man football in extra time was unrecoverable.
  • Dan Ndoye's 7.5 rating—their leading outfield performer—could not match Messi (8.2) and Mac Allister (8.3) alone.