Disaster struck for France in the first half of their high stakes World Cup semifinal against Spain, as star defender William Saliba was forced off with an apparent injury. The Arsenal center back abruptly kicked the ball out of bounds during a possession sequence, immediately signaling to the bench and casting a cloud of uncertainty over the French defensive line.
With Saliba unable to continue, manager Didier Deschamps turned to Maxence Lacroix to fill the massive void. The substitution represents a high pressure test for Lacroix, who has featured only once previously during this tournament in France’s 4-1 victory over Norway.
Anxiety is high as fans and staff await an official update on Saliba’s condition after he went to the turf following an effort to keep a sequence alive for France. The Arsenal star has started all six matches for France during this World Cup, establishing himself as the absolute anchor of Deschamps defense.
While France struggle to spark their offense, Spain have already seized control of the match, forcing Les Bleus to adapt on the fly. To complicate matters, the French side is currently navigating this high stakes semifinal with dynamic playmaker Desire Doue starting on the bench as a potential second half spark plug.
French defender William Saliba was subbed off in the first half due to an apparent injury pic.twitter.com/P8uqrSHkXq
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 14, 2026
France’s second in game injury of the World Cup campaign
William Saliba’s departure marks the second time France have suffered an in game injury setback during this tournament. Up to this point in the 2026 World Cup, their only roster disruption came prior to kickoff when Aurelien Tchouameni was ruled out of the Morocco match due to a minor knock.
The first major scare for France came in the quarterfinals, when superstar Kylian Mbappe was subbed off after feeling discomfort in his left foot. Fortunately for manager Deschamps, that issue proved minor and was quickly resolved by the French medical staff without further complications.
