That’s it from me tonight. Quite the pair of semi-finals we’ve now got on tap for next week. A reminder that you can find all of the Guardian’s World Cup content right here. Thanks for your insight, emails, hydration break recommendations and everything in between!

Nick Ames was at Kansas City Stadium for this match. “Did anyone think Argentina would do it the easy way?” he asks. Surely not.

Interesting insight from Martín writing in from Argentina:

“Awful match. Weird double yellow (fair, I think, but so stupid that maybe the ref could just let it pass). As an argentinian, I’d prefer another approach. We need to be better. Against England, I’d rather lose playing our game than being this again. We already are champions, we have an identity, let’s not lose it.”

More mailbag thoughts:

• “Well, at least if Messi does a Maradona and punches through a goal against England, VAR will overrule it – maybe. (No guarantees when it’s Argentina.)” Burt

• “As successful as they’ve been in this World Cup, Argentina are unconvincing to me. Cape Verde, Egypt, and now Switzerland have pushed them hard, and they’re making heavy weather out of what should be winnable matches. They have a glass jaw, and I don’t see this team getting past England.” Chris

• “It bothers me that VAR has been very inconsistent when applying the rules, seemingly favoring the ‘bigger’ teams over others. A semi-final of Argentina – England is a great one in theory, but I fear the worst with this tournaments refereeing track record. I for one will be preparing myself for heartbreak...” Michael H

• “Was hoping for a Swiss upset but honestly I don’t think that England should fear Argentina from what we have seen.” Kyle

The mega World Cup has given us a pair of mega-matchups for the semi-finals.

France v Spain on Tuesday in Dallas

England v Argentina on Wednesday in Atlanta

Argentina, meanwhile, live another day. They are unbeaten in a remarkable 12 World Cup games, dating back to the 2022 tournament in Qatar, and their dream of becoming the first back-to-back champion since Brazil in 1962 continues.

Everything said before this match – that this style of play makes for compelling drama and captivating narratives, but is not without its flaws – seems still very true after this game.

Switzerland will be (rightfully) upset about the way that match finished, but I think many viewers will have been surprised that their 10-man defence didn’t break sooner.

There will undoubtedly be lots of conversation to continue about the Embolo sending-off. It does feel as though this World Cup has been played against a backdrop of refereeing and officiating discourse/questions of discipline. Maybe that’s just the way things will be in the VAR era of football? Maybe it’s all setting up for a massive decision of consequence in a final. We’ll see.

Watching Argentina games at the 2026 World Cup has felt like that one internet meme from 2016:

“Well, I’d like to see Argentina wriggle their way out of THIS jam!”

*Argentina wriggles their way out of the jam easily*

“Ah! Well. Nevertheless,”

How deceiving this 3-1 scoreline will be. Lautaro Martinez started this sequence on the counter and laid the ball off to Thiago Almada, who seemed to get a shot off but had his attempt saved by Gregor Kobel. Martinez was in position to fire the rebound of the save into the empty net.

120 min The referee has given four minutes of stoppage time.

119 min Messi gets the ball on the break but his shot is deflected away by a Swiss defender. He wanted that goal, but he’ll have to settle for another corner (which Argentina take short and quickly).

119 min Switzerland win a free-kick but it’s cleared away by Alvarez.

118 min Peter writes in to mention that “Al-VAR-ez has bailed out Argentina yet again”. Clever. The US broadcast is already waxing poetic about the possibility of an England v Argentina semi-final.

116 min Emi Martinez makes a jumping save of a Swiss shot.

115 min Lopez sees yellow for a scuffle after the goal, and Switzerland make another substitution, sending Vargas on to replace Freuler.

Have Argentina done it again? They just may have. That’s a wondrous strike by Julian Alvarez to break the deadlock in the 112th minute. He picks up a pass from Jose Manuel Lopez, who had just entered in the 110th minute for Leandro Paredes, takes just a few touches on his right foot at the left edge of the penalty area and fires a curling shot into the top right corner. It’s Alvarez’s first goal of this World Cup.

112 min Messi tries the cut inside once again, and Kobel taps it away.

111 min A long shot by Messi is handled by Kobel. That wasn’t a save, but the Swiss keeper has impressed again in this game.

109 min Messi has tried several times since his near-miss in stoppage time of regulation to cut inside around the top of the box, but he’s running into a wall of red each time he tries.

108 min A Swiss break by Amdouni is stopped by a pack of Argentina defenders.

107 min Xhaka puts in a strong free-kick that Argentina clears away. That’s much better from Switzerland after some sub-par set-piece work earlier this game.

106 min The second half of extra time is under way.

Another change for Argentina: Otamendi is on for Romero, who put in a nice shift. As Ronald wrote in: “Could someone please remind Cristian Romero (and Pedro Porro for that matter) that it’s OK to play this well for Spurs? Thanks!”

Shyam writes in: “Surely after another grueling game, Argentina, should they get past the Swiss, will be knackered when they face England and even more so should they face Spain or France in the final?

It’s interesting to compare cricket and football World Cups. In the former, winning close matches leads to a team being battle hardened and likely to prevail in the final. But in football World Cups too many harrowing matches just lead to exhaustion!"

105+2 min Romero’s header is wide, and the first half of extra time is finished.

105+1 min Argentina win a corner. The referee has given one minute of stoppage time in this period.

105+1 min From Sydney, Gervase asks: “If Switzerland hang on until full-time, what are the chances Messi opts out of the penalties? Given his record to date, I think he’s a very doubtful starter.”

You have to think yes, but it is a good reminder that Messi, for all his undisputed greatness, is not the World Cup’s finest penalty taker. He missed against Egypt and is 4-for-8 at the World Cup in his career.

104 min Given they’ve been playing down a man since the 72nd minute, the Swiss defence is holding up remarkably well.

103 min The free-kick goes straight into the wall but Argentina maintain possession.

102 min Messi collides with Amdouni and draws a free-kick from about 25 yards out.

100 min Messi aims a shot, a cross, maybe a bit of both, from the right, but it’s handled by Kobel.

99 min Xhaka gets yet another shot from distance, but his attempt flies over the crossbar.

98 min Nothing comes of Xhaka’s free-kick. The Swiss have struggled on their set pieces tonight.

A reminder: when these two teams met in the last 16 at the 2014 World Cup, they also went to extra time. It was Lionel Messi who set up Angel Di Maria’s winner.

97 min Almada is given a yellow card in the midfield and the Swiss are given a free-kick for Xhaka to take.

96 min Another change for Switzerland as they look for something, anything to withstand this Argentina pressure. It’s Zakaria off and Jashari on.

95 min Another near-winner for Argentina, this time the substitute Almada. His shot from distance strikes the outside netting of the goal.

95 min The Swiss have barely touched the ball in the first minutes of this half. Argentina are trying to pull apart the wall of red defenders.

93 min Another chance for Argentina, this time by Almada, but it’s handled by Kobel.

91 min Argentina need less than a minute to get their first chance. They win a corner and Messi takes it short, letting them work it around. Almada has come on to replace Fernandez.

91 min We are under way.

Here we go for extra time. Do Switzerland’s 10 men have enough to climb this next mountain (sorry) or will Messi and Argentina prove they have a ninth (or 10th) (or 11th) (or 12th) life to live?

Another mailbag dump:

• “While it’s a bit of a fussy sending-off given the first yellow, Embolo’s degree of cheating was so egregious I find it hard to have too much sympathy for him. If he hadn’t tried that, Switzerland have just equalised, eleven against eleven, momentum at their back. All out the window.” Christopher

• “Embolo’s tears are touching but misplaced. He was frustrated at the lack of protection and tried to con the ref into booking Paredes. And almost succeeded. He clearly leapt in the air not having been touched, and then kicked Paredes for good measure. I’m backing the Swiss in this match but that second yellow was 100 pct deserved” Allan

• “Not really sure Fifa is beating the rigged allegations at this point... I understand the call (I guess), but it’s hard to imagine that a team could have any more of a fortuitous route than Argentina have had if they had the game rigged.” Kentaro

• “I hope the overwhelming sentiment in your inbox is that it seems uncanny at best the way the refereeing change significantly in favor of Argentina for this and the last game. I was rooting for them, but now I am Team Suisse after the absymal calls against Embolo.” April

90 +9 min Messi takes the corner and it finds the foot of Lisandro Martinez, but it’s swatted away by Kobel.

90 +8 min Argentina win a corner.

90 +5 min Another Swiss change: Rodriguez is off and is replaced by Comert.

90 +4 min The mailbag is overflowing with thoughts on the Embolo sending-off (they will be posted soon enough) and references to how “Switzerland have a mountain to climb”.

90 +3 min Gonzalez skies his shot attempt into the crowd.

90 +2 min Messi nearly wins it for Argentina. He cuts on to his right foot at the top of the box and puts a shot that falls just wide of the right side of the goal.

90 +2 min Argentina win another corner-kick and take it short and quick. They work the ball around.

90 + 1 min Nine minutes of stoppage time.

90 min After a quiet second half, Argentina seem to finally have added a bit of urgency into their attack.

89 min Fernandez sends a ball in that’s narrowly kept in play by a sliding Martinez, who finds the head of Mac Allister, but the shot is not on target.

87 min Zakaria leads a break but it’s won back by Argentina. They have not had a shot since Alvarez in the 52nd minute.

86 min Switzerland make their first changes of the night with a triple substitution. Sow, Ndoye (their goal-scorer) and Rieder are off, Widmer, Amdouni and Muheim are on.

85 min More changes for Argentina: Lautaro Martinez on for De Paul and Montiel on for Molina.

85 min Messi runs in behind and chests a ball from Paredes on to his foot, but Kobel is there, and so is the offside flag.

84 min Switzerland have shifted into a back five.

80 min After a quiet spell to open this half, the Argentina fans have come back into action in Kansas City.

78 min The Embolo sending-off and the application of this “mistaken identity” rule – a revision that was made to the laws of the game earlier this year and is being applied at the World Cup for the first time – surely will become a major storyline of this game, no matter the result.

78 min Argentina make their first substitution of the match. Gonzalez is on for Tagliafico.

77 min “That seemed obviously a dive until the final replay which made the Argentina contact obvious, which was after the decision. With all the other media recorded stats, is this Fifa for Argentina for the win?” Tom

“England better hope that the deal Argentina has struck with the refs and FIFA only includes getting them to the semi finals….” Espen

“Embolo’s dive was ridiculous, but so was his first yellow, so the red is harsh.” Burt

75 min We head into the hydration break after a dramatic stretch of eight minutes, beginning with Switzerland’s equalizer in the 67th minute and then Embolo’s sending off. If the Swiss are to pull off this remarkable comeback, they will have to do it with 10 men.

73 min Reminder: we saw this VAR “mistaken identity” check applied earlier in the World Cup, with the USA’s Tim Ream and Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron.

73 min Embolo is in tears as he is guided off the pitch in tears and heads into the tunnel. Tough to watch.

70 min We’re going to a VAR check on the card. Fox analyst Mark Clattenburg suspects they are reviewing the yellow as an unnecessary yellow on Paredes and says the call should be reversed.

69 min Paredes gets a yellow card for what appeared to be a harsh tackle on Embolo, but on review looks more like a dive by Embolo. Argentina look a bit rattled here.

The Swiss have looked their most dangerous in the past 10 minutes, and it felt like this goal was coming. Dan Ndoye does some nice combination play with Ricardo Rodriguez before cutting inside from the left and scoring Switzerland’s equalizer.

66 min Xhaka goes for another long-range shot and it’s saved by Emi Martinez on a dive to his left. He gestures to the crowd behind him, perhaps to inject some more energy into a game that hasn’t had many spells of Argentinian attacks.

66 min Ndoye has another chance on a header, but it’s patted away by Emi Martinez. The Swiss are putting a bit more pressure on the Argentinian defense.

64 min Ndoye gets a nice break, but he again takes a touch too many and has his run blocked by an Argentina defender. The ensuing Swiss corner is headed out.

61 min As we pass the hour mark, the Swiss have done a solid job defending outside of the conceded goal on the corner. Argentina have had at least 10 shots in all five of their World Cup matches, and at least 19 in the two knockout games. They have six tonight.

60 min Embolo gets on the end of a cross but it falls to Emi Martinez and is handled.

57 min Play resumes and Paredes is good to continue.

56 min The referee stops play with Paredes down and pointing to his knee.

54 min USA legend Landon Donovan, on the Fox broadcast, wants to see more “risks” from Switzerland. Sandgk, in my email inbox, wants to see Murat Yakin in a hair-dye-for-men commercial.

52 min Messi’s corner is flicked on by Fernandez to the near post, but the Chelsea man gets a bit too much on it. Argentina looking dangerous on set pieces yet again.

52 min Alvarez’s left-footed shot deflects off Akanji for a corner. Messi takes his time walking (he’s quite good at that) to the flag.

50 min Another instance of defensive vulnerability for Argentina. Embolo gets a long ball and lays it off to Ndoye, who takes too long to get a shot off and is met by Lisandro Martinez flying in with a crunching tackle.

50 min Molina gets Argentina’s first shot since the 10th minute. Alvarez was wide open in the center of the box, but Molina goes for the long shot instead and it’s wide.

48 min Switzerland’s set pieces aren’t going anywhere in this game. Their latest free-kick goes straight into the arms of Emi Martinez.

47 min Switzerland have come into this second half with a bit of energy, but they’re struggling to find a hole in the Argentinian defence.

46 min The second-half is under-way.

Messi’s corner-kick that led to Mac Allister’s goal was the 10th assist of his World Cup career.

Also of note: it was Argentina’s fifth set-piece goal of this tournament, tied with the United States for the most of any team.

Some big-picture thoughts from the mailbag:

• “Time is a flat circle in football. France has the look of Brazil ‘02 (a dynamic front 3, possible 3 finals in a row, cruising), Argentina circa ‘90; defending champion being dragged by one man, Spain is 2010 again, possession with a tight defence…and England gives the look of Argie 2022, just trade Jude with Lionel, add a solid structure and depth.” Andrew B

• “It looks like the four teams in the semi-finals will be the highest four ranked teams in the world! So why bother having a tournament with 48 teams when we could have saved everyone a bunch of time by just having 8 or 16 at the most? As nice as it was to see some new teams in the World Cup did we really need them?” Luke C

• “If Argentina win then the four teams Fifa earmarked to be kept apart until the semi finals will, indeed, be the four semi finalists. Gianni will be so pleased.” Tom H

• “It’s hard not to agree with Jonathan Wilson’s article on the huge problems Infantino’s apparent love-in with Trump over Balogan has created within the game. Already it seems England fans are convinced that an Argentina win against Switzerland means the footballing authorities have pre-confirmed a re-run of the last final between Argentina and France. So by such logic English and Spanish fans can look away now. It seems only a Swiss victory can assuage such fears.” Samuel D

From US soccer editor Alex Abnos, who is at Kansas City Stadium for this one:

“It is my extreme displeasure to report that the personal style of Switzerland manager Murat Yakin actually might be the most interesting thing about this game.”

Is Yakin auditioning for a Warby Parker commercial? The role of a Bond villian? A Miami Vice reboot? Wrong answers only.

For most of that first half, Argentina seemed content to let Switzerland keep possession and then wait for their own opportunities on the counter. The dangerous part of that approach, though, is that the longer they hold a 1-0 lead without eagerly chasing another to pad their lead, the more they’re risking Switzerland punching back and all of a sudden making this a much closer game. (See: Cape Verde.)

45 + 4 min Ndoye was down briefly after going up for a header, and Pinheiro gives the captains a brief chat about contact as we near the half-time whistle.

45 + 3 min If you’re Switzerland, you feel this game is calling for the attacking talents of Johan Manzambi. It’s unfortunate that the knee injury suffered in training before the Algeria game means he may have already played his last game at this tournament.

45 min Embolo wants a foul called on Lisandro Martinez, but Pinheiro won’t have it. Four minutes of stoppage time.

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.

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.

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.

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: