Argentina hold a 1-0 lead over Switzerland at half-time in the final quarter-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The defending champions took the lead through Alexis Mac Allister, who headed home a Lionel Messi corner in the 10th minute.
The assist also saw Messi make World Cup history. It was his 10th assist in the tournament across his career. He became the first player to reach 10 World Cup assists since the statistic began being officially recorded.
After the goal, Argentina controlled the pace of the match without creating many clear chances. Switzerland enjoyed more possession for long spells but struggled to break through the Argentine defence.
The Swiss came closest when Breel Embolo raced towards goal, but Lisandro Martinez recovered well before Emiliano Martinez came off his line to gather the ball.
Djibril Sow forced Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez into his only save of the half with a long range effort, while Switzerland failed to make the most of several dangerous set pieces.
The only booking of the first half came just before the break when Embolo was shown a yellow card for a late challenge on Leandro Paredes.
Argentina are now 45 minutes away from a place in the semi-finals, where England are waiting after beating Norway 2-1. Lionel Scaloni’s side take a 1-0 lead into the second half.
