Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the side’s 3-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in the World Cup ‌quarterfinals on Saturday was further proof that it has grown comfortable operating in ​challenging situations.

Forced to come from two goals down in its improbable 3-2 round-of-16 win ⁠over Egypt, and then pushed to the limit again by a relentless Swiss side, Scaloni’s men found answers when the pressure was at its greatest, scoring twice deep in extra time to reach the last four.

For Scaloni, the ability ‌to suffer without losing belief has become one of the defining characteristics of this Argentina squad.

“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,” the coach said.

Argentina’s ‌path ⁠through the tournament has been far from straightforward. It twice squandered leads to Cape ⁠Verde before grinding out a 3-2 victory in the round of 32 and then was 2-0 down to Egypt until the 79th minute before its comeback.

Scaloni believes the experience of Qatar 2022, where it captured the title with a penalty shootout victory ​over France, has helped his players navigate ‌those difficult moments.

“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 and 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.”

Switzerland ​looked capable of derailing Argentina’s campaign after it equalised in the 67th minute, but Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scored deep in extra time to secure the ⁠dramatic victory.

“It was a tough opponent,” Scaloni said. “It was very difficult for us to win the duels, to put more than five or six passes together.

READ: ‘Unacceptable’: Switzerland coach fumes after Breel Embolo red card in loss to Argentina

“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.”

Yet even on a day when Argentina was below its best, Scaloni felt his squad’s depth and collective belief carried it through.

“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 coach repeatedly returned to the theme of unity in his post-game press conference, crediting a group that has bought into his vision during six demanding ‌weeks together at the tournament.

“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 also highlighted Argentina’s improvement on set pieces after midfielder ⁠Alexis Mac Allister headed home the opening goal from a Lionel Messi corner.

“Alexis Mac Allister is one of the ⁠greatest. So all praise to him because he’s been working very hard,” Scaloni said.

The reward for Argentina is a sixth semifinal appearance in its last six major tournaments.

“I hadn’t thought about ‌it, but this is something to be very proud of,” he said.

If Argentina does lift the trophy again, this campaign may be remembered less for flowing football than for the stubborn resilience ​that has carried it through

“When you reach a semifinal, you need to suffer,” Scaloni said. “You need to go through it.”

Published on Jul 12, 2026