Lionel Scaloni: Argentina will fight until the end to retain World Cup crown
By Joel Masibo, July 12, 2026Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has vowed that his players will leave nothing on the field as they continue their quest to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup title following a dramatic 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in the quarterfinals on Sunday, July 12, 2026.
The South American champions made a dream start when Alexis Mac Allister headed home early in the contest. Switzerland responded after the break through Dan Ndoye, forcing the match into extra time. Breel Embolo’s dismissal handed Argentina a numerical advantage, and goals from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez eventually secured progression at Kansas City Stadium.
The victory sends Argentina into the semifinals of a major international competition for the fifth tournament in succession, a run that stretches back to the 2019 Copa America.
Scaloni’s reflections
Reflecting on the achievement, Scaloni praised his squad for their consistency.
“Five tournaments and five semifinals,” said Scaloni, who took charge of Argentina after the 2018 World Cup. “I hadn’t thought about it, but it is something we should be happy about. Without these players, it wouldn’t be possible.
“It is incredible to reach a semifinal and occupy such a privileged place in football. We should be satisfied and remain hopeful until the end, giving every last drop of sweat. If we achieve it, great. If we don’t, we will have given everything.” Scaloni said.
Although Argentina swept through the group stage with a perfect record, the knockout rounds have proved far more demanding. They required extra time to eliminate Cabo Verde before staging a remarkable comeback from two goals behind in the final 11 minutes to defeat Egypt in the round of 16.
Scaloni acknowledged that his team struggled to perform at its usual standard against Switzerland.
“It is possible that we weren’t at our best today,” Scaloni said. “It was a complicated match. We tried to play our way, but it wasn’t possible.”
“You have to congratulate Switzerland. I am happy with the team’s performance, but it reinforces that we have to keep working and improving.” He said.
Scaloni credits Switzerland
The Argentine coach also credited Switzerland, led by Murat Yakin, for making life difficult throughout the contest.
“We perhaps didn’t play the way we wanted, but we showed other qualities and that is worth highlighting,” he said. “We won because of our ambition and our desire to avoid penalties, because Switzerland has players who could have made things complicated.”
“We won because of our desire, not because of the way we were playing. We weren’t able to keep the ball and we want to understand why. We’ll analyze that later.”
Argentina’s reward is a semifinal showdown with England in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, with the winners earning a place in the World Cup final.
Despite the long-standing football rivalry between the two nations, including the famous 1986 World Cup quarterfinal featuring Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal and his iconic Goal of the Century, Scaloni insisted history would have no bearing on the upcoming clash.
“It is a football match,” Scaloni said, playing down the game’s wider significance. “We aren’t looking for anything else.”
“England is a good team with a great manager whom I admire a lot. But it is a game of football. There is nothing more to it than that.” He added.