Lionel Messi’s personal goal-scoring streak came to an end at nine consecutive World Cup matches, but the Argentina captain still guided his team into the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup for the second consecutive tournament, setting up a mostly assist-driven performance that helped Argentina outlast Switzerland 3-1 after extra time on Saturday at Kansas City Stadium in Missouri.

Argentina, chasing back-to-back World Cup titles after winning in Qatar in 2022, advanced to face England in the semifinals on July 16, with a spot in the final on the line. The result came after a grueling 120 minutes in Kansas City that tested both squads physically, with the match ultimately decided in extra time following a 1-1 scoreline through regulation.

Messi entered Saturday’s match with a chance to extend his streak of scoring in nine straight World Cup games, a run dating back to the round of 16 at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, to 10 consecutive matches. He attempted four shots over the course of the game but was unable to find the net. Instead, Messi turned his focus toward creating opportunities for his teammates, and Argentina responded by scoring three goals across the full 120 minutes of play.

Messi opened the scoring indirectly in the 10th minute of the first half, delivering a corner kick that Alexis Mac Allister headed home to give Argentina an early lead. The assist marked Messi’s 10th career World Cup assist, making him the first player in tournament history to reach double digits in that category. Switzerland equalized in the 22nd minute of the second half, forcing the match into extra time after Argentina was unable to add to its lead through the remainder of regulation play. Throughout the match, Messi continued contributing in a facilitating role, delivering six crosses, the most of any player on either team.

The deciding moments came deep into extra time. In the seventh minute of the added period, Julián Álvarez struck a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area that curled into the top right corner of the Swiss goal, putting Argentina back in front. Lautaro Martínez added a third goal for Argentina later in the second half of extra time, sealing the victory. Messi, 39, played the full 120 minutes, continuing to direct Argentina’s attack even as the match wore into its final stages without him managing to add his name to the scoresheet.

Messi has worn Argentina’s captain’s armband for the past 15 years, a tenure that began in 2011 and has coincided with the national team’s transformation from a group widely regarded as championship contenders on paper into one that has consistently delivered on that potential. Under his leadership, Argentina won the Copa América in both 2021 and 2024 and lifted the World Cup trophy in 2022, ending a 36-year wait for the country’s third title.

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez described Messi’s leadership style as understated despite his standing as the sport’s most accomplished active player. “Messi is the best player in the world, but he does not put up authority in the national team and acts the same as other players,” Martínez said, adding that the squad planned to approach the coming stretch of the tournament with heightened focus. “We will seriously awaken a sense of responsibility and increase the players’ concentration.”

Messi’s approach to leadership has evolved over the course of his international career, shifting from a more reserved, quieter presence in his early years as captain to a more vocal role following a string of difficult losses in major finals, including Argentina’s runner-up finish at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and back-to-back Copa América final defeats in 2015 and 2016. Ahead of Argentina’s 2021 Copa América final victory over Brazil, Messi is reported to have rallied teammates in the locker room, telling them, “We haven’t even seen our families in 45 days. Still, I came for this moment, and there is only one step left now. Everything is up to us. There is no such thing as coincidence. Let’s trust ourselves and be calm. Let’s go get the trophy.” Argentina went on to win that match, capturing its first Copa América title in 28 years.

Álvarez, whose extra-time strike proved decisive against Switzerland, credited the team’s collective belief for pulling out the result in a physically demanding match. “It was a difficult time for us, but I believed that if we all worked together, we would get a goal,” Álvarez said. “I’m so glad that’s what happened in the end. The team members did their best until the end.”

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni offered high praise for Messi’s continued output at 39 years old, an age at which sustained peak performance at the World Cup level is exceedingly rare. “Messi is like a machine,” Scaloni said shortly after the match. “Considering he’s 39 years old, you might think he won’t be able to do his part. But he will always try to be the best, and he will always be at the top.”

Saturday’s win extended Argentina’s run through a tournament that has proven physically taxing across all three of its knockout-stage matches so far, according to figures within the team’s camp, with Scaloni’s side once again relying on Messi’s on-field organization and experience to see the match through despite his personal scoring drought. With the victory, Argentina now has two matches remaining in its bid for a second consecutive World Cup title: the semifinal against England on July 16, followed by either the final or the third-place match depending on that result.

Messi’s sixth World Cup appearance, a milestone in itself for a player who first appeared on the tournament’s biggest stage as a teenager, will continue for at least two more matches, with growing belief inside the Argentina camp that its captain remains capable of delivering when it matters most, even in matches where his name does not appear on the scoresheet.