Argentina just scraped through the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals, beating Switzerland 3-1 in extra-time, and get this: the defending champions, with the greatest player ever on their roster, are now underdogs heading into the second semifinal against England on Wednesday. Seriously? Underdogs?
The GOAT Needs a Lift Sometimes, Y'all
Lionel Andres Messi is just two games away from football immortality, from undisputed, unassailable G.O.A.T. status. He could remove any doubt about who's the best to ever do it. The team is also two games from achieving something truly legendary: winning the World Cup back to back. Only two teams have ever pulled it off, Italy in the '30s and Brazil in '58 and '64, and the last time was 64 years ago. Those are the impossible expectations, that’s the pressure on Messi and the squad every time they step on the field. Tonight against Switzerland in the quarterfinals? The 39-year-old Messi wasn't at his typically dominant, very best. Switzerland's Murat Yakin had a clear game plan: they were NOT going to let Messi beat them. They crowded him with and without the ball, forcing him wider than he wanted to be. Yakin's side executed their strategy to near perfection, getting within eight minutes of a penalty shootout. Argentina has been overly reliant on him to this point, and frankly, the eye test says they're not the best team in this tournament. At no point in the knockout rounds have they looked head and shoulders above the opposition.Alvarez and Martinez Finally Answered the Call
This was the question coming into this World Cup, the one everyone was asking: Will someone other than Messi step up? Five games into the tournament, we had no closer to an answer. Perhaps Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez, Messi's running mates up top, heard the chatter. How could they not? And tonight, they answered. With Switzerland completely stifling Messi, it was these two who carried the team. It was more like Argentina dragging Messi over the line when he wasn't at his absolute peak. Anything short of this, and Argentina would have been out in the last two rounds to either Cape Verde or Egypt. Alvarez and Martinez stepped up, delivered, and ensured Argentina lived to play another game. Argentina survived another scare, winning 3-1 in extra-time. Messi himself said it best, "May our fans enjoy the semifinal just like us. This team has gotten people used to it by doing extraordinary things. We need to savor it to the fullest, because we don't know if it will happen again." Wise words, Leo. So, it's England on Wednesday at 3 pm ET in the second semifinal. The defending champions, with the greatest player ever, are underdogs. But you still wouldn't bet against them, would you? Not a chance. They just find a way, again and again.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.