Lionel Messi’s FIFA World Cup scoring streak ends; it fails…
Lionel Messi failed to score for the first time in 10 matches at the 2026 World Cup, but the Argentina captain still played a key role in his side’s 3-1 extra-time win over Switzerland in Saturday’s quarter-final.Messi’s nine-match scoring streak ended but he assisted Argentina’s opener as the defending champions booked their place in the semi-finals.Argentina will now face England in the last four.
Messi’s magic
Argentina took the lead in the 10th minute through Alexis Mac Allister. The move was started by Messi who won a corner after clever footwork on the left. The Inter Miami star then delivered a perfect cross into the box, where Mac Allister headed home to make it 1-0.Switzerland fought back in the second half as Dan Ndoye equalized in the 67th minute to force extra time.Julian Alvarez restored Argentina’s lead with a brilliant long-range strike in the 112th minute before Lautaro Martinez sealed a 3-1 victory with a goal in the closing seconds.
Switzerland managed to stop Messi from scoring
Ahead of the game, Switzerland coach Murat Yakin was asked how his team planned to stop Messi, who had scored in each of his previous nine World Cup games.Yakin replied with a smile: “This is a very surprising question. There are many solutions and we will try to find the best one. We can talk a lot about it, but in the end it has to really translate to the field and we have our solutions.”Switzerland managed to keep Messi off the scoresheet but were unable to stop him influencing the game with his passing and creativity.
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Scaloni praises Messi
Messi enjoyed another memorable World Cup campaign as he scored eight goals to help Argentina reach the semi-finals before the match against Switzerland.Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni once again praised his captain after the win.“He’s like a machine. Those who don’t know him that much might be surprised and at the age of 39, some people might think he’s not up to the challenge.”Scaloni added: “But I’ve said it before if he wants to be the best – and I’m not saying this because I’m coaching him – but because if he wants to continue, he’ll continue to be the best.”Although Messi’s remarkable scoring run has come to an end, his assists have ensured that he once again played a crucial role as Argentina moved a step closer to defending their FIFA World Cup title.