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Lionel Messi's remarkable World Cup scoring run came to an end against Switzerland, but the Argentina captain still played a decisive role in his team's 3-1 quarterfinal victory by setting up the opening goal.

Messi, who entered the match tied with France's Kylian Mbappé in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot, created Argentina's first breakthrough early in the contest. In the 10th minute, his clever dribbling earned a corner kick before he delivered a precise cross into the penalty area. Alexis Mac Allister rose above the defense and headed the ball into the net to give the defending champions an early advantage.

Switzerland responded after halftime, equalizing in the 67th minute and forcing the match into extra time. Argentina regained control in the 112th minute when Julián Álvarez fired a powerful strike into the top corner. Lautaro Martínez later added another goal to seal a 3-1 win and send Argentina into the semifinals.

Argentina will now face England on Wednesday in Atlanta with a place in the World Cup final at stake.

Messi had entered the match after scoring in nine consecutive World Cup appearances, including six straight knockout matches. He also holds the tournament record with 21 career World Cup goals.

Switzerland largely succeeded in limiting Messi's scoring opportunities throughout regulation, ending his impressive goal streak. Even so, the Argentine playmaker remained influential by creating chances and helping orchestrate his team's attack.

Messi's World Cup campaign began in spectacular fashion at the same stadium more than three weeks earlier, where he scored the first World Cup hat trick of his career during Argentina's 3-0 victory over Algeria. He followed that performance with eight more goals before the quarterfinal.

Despite his outstanding tournament, Messi has also experienced setbacks from the penalty spot. He failed to convert spot kicks against both Austria and Egypt, with the miss against Egypt proving especially significant after Argentina fell behind by two goals.

However, Messi was instrumental in leading his team's comeback in that match. He assisted Cristian Romero's header in the 79th minute before scoring the equalizer himself just four minutes later by beating Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. Enzo Fernández completed the turnaround with a stoppage-time winner, securing Argentina's place in the quarterfinal against Switzerland.

This latest victory keeps Argentina's title defense alive as the reigning champions move one step closer to another World Cup final.