France Lose Star to Non-Contact Injury vs Spain at 2026 FIFA World Cup

France had not trailed through six matches of the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup, but that changed quickly when Les Bleus met Spain in the semifinal on Tuesday, July 14.

France’s Lucas Digne didn’t sense Spain’s Lamine Yamal behind him and kicked him in the thigh while trying to clear the ball - a blatant penalty to give Spain a golden chance in the 20th minute.

Mikel Oyarzabal buried the penalty, and, according to Sports Illustrated’s Bryan Fischer, France found themselves down a goal in a World Cup match for the first time in 1,304 days.

It went from shaky to outright worrisome for France when, moments later, stalwart center-back William Saliba went down with a non-contact injury:

Saliba was immediately subbed off and replaced by Maxence Lacroix:

Saliba had started all but one of France’s World Cup matches this summer. The exception coming when Norway rested 10 starters against France in the group-stage finale. Otherwise, Saliba not only started, but played a full 90 minutes in every match.

Saliba stars for Arsenal and helped the Gunners capture their first Premier League title since 2004. It was a mini miracle that Saliba was able to represent France at the World Cup at all, as ESPN reported on June 1 that Saliba was “very doubtful for the World Cup” due to a persistent back injury.

Entering the semifinal, the Les Bleus’ backline had only conceded two goals in this World Cup - Spain is the first side to score on France in the knockout stage - and Saliba has been crucial to that success.

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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 1:41 PM.