Granit Xhaka: ‘The red card killed our game – 11v11 we would have beaten Argentina’

Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka didn’t hold back in his assessment of the refereeing decision that he believes cost his side a chance against Argentina in the 2026 World Cup quarterfinal, which ended 3-1 for the South Americans. Xhaka felt Switzerland started the match well but conceded from a corner kick. After that, according to the midfielder, his team took full control of the proceedings, even though they didn’t carve out many clear opportunities before halftime. The second half saw Switzerland push forward with more conviction. They found the equalizer and grew in confidence. “We had more energy and belief,” Xhaka told The Athletic. “But the red card changed everything. It broke our original plan, which looked very promising.” The midfielder admitted it’s painful to lose a World Cup knockout game because of a single call. “Rules are rules, and we can’t change them, but this kind of decision simply kills the game. That’s my personal opinion. The dressing room was silent and disappointed, but the fact that we’re upset after losing to Argentina shows the strong mentality of this team. I’m convinced that in an 11v11 situation, we would have beaten them,” Xhaka said.