Sports12 July, 20263 min read
Argentina Sets Up England Semifinal After Beating 10-Man Switzerland 3-1 at Kansas City Stadium
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Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 in the quarterfinals to reach the semis. Argentina will face England in the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta.
Argentina-England semifinal set
Argentina set up a World Cup semi-final against England after overcoming 10-man Switzerland 3-1 after extra time in the quarter-finals at Kansas City Stadium, with Lionel Messi failing to score for the first time this tournament but still laying on an assist for Alexis Mac Allister's opener. England then reached the last four by beating Norway 2-1 thanks to Jude Bellingham's double, and the matchup will be the first time eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi has gone up against the Three Lions. Messi, speaking to ESPN Argentina, said, "Obviously, playing against England is special because they are a powerhouse, and matches against powerhouses are always special."
Argentina captain Julián Álvarez said, "We are very proud to be among the top four teams in the world," after putting Argentina ahead against Switzerland with a strike in extra time. The BBC framed the semi-final as a chance for England left-back Nico O'Reilly to face Messi in what he called a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" in Wednesday's match in Atlanta.
Quotes and rivalry tension
Ahead of the semi-final, England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford urged that the team not be reduced to Lionel Messi, telling a press conference two days before the match that, "We can't focus solely on Messi." Pickford also expressed confidence in the Three Lions' chances of reaching the final, while the BBC reported that O'Reilly will probably have to defend against Messi one-on-one if he starts at left-back. In Atlanta, United States, Ouest-France said police services of the city hosting the match on Wednesday, July 15, expect a high-risk match because of the question of sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, a territory claimed by both countries.
Ouest-France also reported that Lionel Scaloni immediately tried to calm things down at a press conference, wanting to remind that it was not just a football match. Meanwhile, Goal relayed AFP’s account of Joe Cole on "The Rest is Football," where Cole said, "We're going to knock Lionel Messi out of the game."
Who to watch, what’s at stake
The BBC said Messi began the tournament with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win against Algeria, equalling Miroslav Klose's record of 16 World Cup goals that had stood since 2014, and it added that Messi has since scored five more to take his total to eight goals. England’s Jordan Pickford warned against ignoring the rest of Argentina, telling media at England's training base in Kansas on Monday, "We can't solely rely on [stopping] Messi." The BBC also said the winner of the semi-final will face either France or Spain in the World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, 19 July (20:00 BST).
Goal’s AFP account highlighted that Cole’s prediction came as England prepared for their fourth World Cup semifinal, while Cole insisted, "We'll do it, 100 percent," and added, "I'm saying it right now: England will reach the World Cup final." In the same build-up, beIN SPORTS noted that England have lost just two of their 14 internationals against Argentina when not counting penalty shoot-outs, and it reported that Argentina have won all six of their matches at this World Cup, with each of their last four matches seeing them net exactly three goals.