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Published : 12 Jul 2026, 07:41 PM
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni spent much of the World Cup defending decisions over his strikers, but after Saturday's 3-1 quarter-final win over Switzerland he could finally celebrate seeing both Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez score.
The defending champions advanced after a 1-1 draw in regulation time, with Alvarez and Martinez striking in extra time to settle a tense contest and underline the attacking depth that has given Scaloni both headaches and options.
Alvarez, who recovered from an ankle issue before the World Cup, arrived as the regular starter but Scaloni opted to begin the tournament with Martinez.
The choice mirrored their triumphant Qatar 2022 run, when the Inter Milan forward started as first-choice striker before Alvarez took over from the third game onward.
Scaloni said after the Switzerland clash that he had never been concerned by the lack of goals from his strikers early in the World Cup, and was especially pleased to see Martinez rewarded after losing his place in the starting lineup.
"The other day people were telling me that 70-80 percent of the team's goals had been scored by Leo (Messi)," Scaloni said.
"But I wasn't worried, because of the situations Lautaro and Julian were getting. Today that they scored, so I'm even less worried."
Alvarez was a starter for the second straight match, while Martinez -- who had appeared in the starting 11 in the first four games of the tournament -- came on in the 85th minute, replacing midfielder Rodrigo De Paul.
For much of Saturday's match, neither side could find a breakthrough after Switzerland erased Argentina's first-half lead.
But with penalties approaching, Alvarez produced the decisive moment, unleashing a long-range shot into the top corner in the 112th minute. Martinez added a third nine minutes later.
Scaloni praised the attitude of both forwards, saying that competition for places had strengthened rather than divided the squad.
"It's not easy to be in Lautaro's position. He played the first four matches, came out of the team, Julian came in and in the two matches he has played he has been decisive," Scaloni said.
"They keep pushing forward, they train well, make things difficult for us, and when they come on they show they are ready. For me, that's one of the best things," he added.
Martinez acknowledged the struggle of overcoming a disciplined Swiss side. "We suffered until the end. It became a long match," he said.
Alvarez echoed his teammate's remarks: "We kept trying until the end. We knew that if we kept pushing together, it would come for us. All World Cup matches have been like this. There are two more left, and we're going to give everything."
