Scaloni: ‘We Knew We Were Going to Suffer’ as Argentina Grind Past Switzerland Into World Cup Semis
Lionel Scaloni credited his side’s resilience after Argentina battled past Switzerland 3-1 in extra time to book their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, where they will face England on Friday (IST).
The defending champions were made to work hard for their victory, with Switzerland pushing them deep into extra time before late strikes from Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez finally settled the contest, according to Reuters.
Speaking after the match, Scaloni said his squad has grown accustomed to fighting through adversity in knockout football.
“We knew that we were going to suffer, and this is part of our blood, this is part of our DNA, and this brings peace of mind,” he said, as per Reuters.
Argentina had made the ideal start, going ahead in the 10th minute when Alexis Mac Allister headed home from a Lionel Messi corner. Switzerland responded strongly, however, and levelled the score in the 67th minute through Dan Ndoye after applying sustained pressure on Argentina in the second half.
The South Americans struggled to assert control over the game for long stretches, but their fortunes turned once Switzerland were reduced to 10 men. Alvarez broke the deadlock with a superb long-range strike in the 112th minute, before Martinez added a second in the closing stages to seal Argentina’s passage to the last four.
Scaloni pointed to the experience gained from Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph in Qatar as a key factor in his team’s composure under pressure. “In Qatar, we were not that experienced, I myself included, and those kinds of situations were very difficult,” he said.
“However, now we are more experienced because we know what it feels like to be dominated by the opponent, to concede an equaliser, so today we kept our composure. The team knew how to remain calm and, of course, we will never give up,” he added. The Argentine coach acknowledged that Switzerland proved a formidable opponent throughout the match.
“It was a tough opponent,” Scaloni said, according to Reuters. “It was very difficult for us to win the duels, to put more than five or six passes together.” “They were very strong, and they made that struggle in the one versus one in different areas of the pitch. We suffered quite a lot,” he said.
Although Argentina were not at their fluent best, Scaloni praised the strength in depth of his squad and the impact made by substitutes “We also have players on the bench who can turn the game on its head, and this is something very good,” he said. “Ultimately, we always find the solutions.”
The 48-year-old coach also credited the unity within his squad for Argentina’s sustained success on the international stage.
“This is thanks to the players because they had to trust in the process,” he said. “We are a collective side. We are together. We are very much united. And this is proof that football is complicated.”
Scaloni singled out Mac Allister for praise following his opening goal from Messi’s corner delivery. “Alexis McAllister is one of the greatest. So all praise to him because he’s been working very hard,” Scaloni said.
The win marked Argentina’s sixth semi-final appearance in as many major tournaments, a record Scaloni admitted he had not previously considered but one that filled him with pride. “I hadn’t thought about it, but this is something to be very proud of,” he said. Looking ahead to the semi-final showdown, Scaloni reflected on the demands of tournament football at the highest level.
“When you reach a semi-final, you need to suffer. You need to go through it,” Scaloni said. Argentina will face England in the semi-final on Friday (IST).