Alexis Mac Allister played a huge role in Argentina booking its place in the World Cup semifinals against England, with the Liverpool midfielder scoring in his country's win over Switzerland
11:28, 12 Jul 2026
KANSAS CITY, MO - JULY 11: Alexis Mac Allister #20 of Argentina celebrates his opening goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal match between Argentina and Switzerland on July 11, 2026 at the Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Alexis Mac Allister celebrates after scoring Argentina's opening goal against Switzerland(Image: Getty Images)
Argentina’s media hailed Alexis Mac Allister as a “lion” as the Liverpool midfielder helped his country to the semifinals at the World Cup.
Mac Allister scored the defending champions’ opening goal against Switzerland, although they were pegged back when Dan Ndoye equalized with just over 20 minutes remaining. Despite having Bree Embolo sent off, the Swiss managed to hang on to send the game into extra time.
Argentina found another gear though, and Julian Alvarez’s brilliant curling effort put it back in front in the 112th minute before Lautaro Martinez made it 3-1, setting up a semifinal meeting with England on Wednesday.
Mac Allister started once again for his country, as he has done in all but one game so far this tournament, and he showed his worth as he headed home just 10 minutes into the quarterfinal in Kansas City.
Some of the Liverpool star’s performances have been met with lukewarm responses from Argentina’s media over the past few weeks, but Ole was full of praise for his latest efforts.
Awarding him a six in its ratings, the outlet said: “He lost possession early on in a dangerous area due to a lack of speed in the play. He won two consecutive headers on corners, and on the second, he put his team ahead 1-0. A lion at defending the ball when he had it. A performance that justified his starting place in the World Cup.”
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 11: Lionel Messi #10 , Alexis Mac Allister #20 , Enzo Fernandez #24 and Nicolas Tagliafico #3 of Argentina celebrate the opening goal during the first half of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Quarter Final match between Argentina and Switzerland at Kansas City Stadium on July 11, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Alexis Mac Allister has been praised for his performance in Argentina's win over Switzerland(Image: Getty Images)
Mac Allister was awarded the same score by TyC Sports, which saw his value in the attacking quarters.
“Paredes' presence frees him up and puts him in dangerous positions,” they wrote. “Beyond his excellent header (he'd had a chance from a previous corner, clearly a practiced move), he appears more influential in the opposition's box, as we saw in Qatar.
“Alexis didn't manage to create many attacking plays, but his tactical discipline throughout this World Cup has been admirable. He played the entire match again, which is good.”
And there was another six for his performance from La Nacion, which saw a marked improvement from him during the opening 45 minutes, even if it was less complimentary about his later efforts.
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“In the first half, he was much more of an attacking presence than in almost all his other matches,” the outlet wrote.
“Before the header, he had another good chance where he rushed his shot. His pace slowed as the minutes ticked by. He missed a second chance, also a header, in stoppage time.”
Having reached the semifinals, Liverpool now knows it will have to wait even longer to get Mac Allister back for pre-season this summer.
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The midfielder is guaranteed two more games at the World Cup, even if Argentina loses to England, with a third-place playoff taking place on Saturday before next Sunday’s final. New signing Victor Munoz is in the same position after Spain booked a semifinal meeting against tournament favorite France.