France will be without one of their defensive leaders for today’s 2026 FIFA World Cup up third-place match at Miami Stadium in Florida against England. William Saliba has been ruled out after aggravating a back injury during France’s 2-0 semifinal defeat to Spain,, prompting Didier Deschamps to remove him from the XI, although the defender has still been cleared to appear on the bench.
The Arsenal center-back was forced off just 30 minutes into Tuesday’s semifinal after experiencing severe discomfort. Although Saliba had been managing the injury throughout the tournament, he was unable to continue and was substituted before halftime. FIFA has assigned Venezuelan referee Jesús Valenzuela to take charge of Saturday’s match.
With France facing different scenarios depending on whether they win, draw, or lose today against England, and aiming to close their World Cup campaign with a victory, Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix will replace Saliba in central defense alongside Ibrahima Konaté.
What happened to William Saliba?
Saliba has reportedly been playing through a back fracture since March, with France manager Didier Deschamps revealing that the defender relied heavily on pain medication to remain available during the World Cup.
William Saliba #17 of France walks off the pitch with medical staff after sustaining an injury. Lars Baron/Getty Images
Medical evaluations determined that while the fracture hasn’t significantly worsened, the discomfort is too severe for him to start today’s match, though he remains available as a substitute if needed.
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