Facing Spain in the 2026 World Cup semifinals, France star defender William Saliba had to exit the game. France and Spain are battling for a place in the 2026 World Cup final at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, but Les Bleus suffered an early setback when William Saliba was forced off the field under concerning circumstances. In the 28th minute, with France chasing the ball in midfield and under no immediate pressure, Saliba went down and signaled to the bench to be replaced. The nature and severity of the injury have not yet been confirmed, but the sight of one of France’s key defenders leaving the field so early in a semifinal immediately raised alarm. Didier Deschamps turned to Maxence Lacroix as Saliba’s replacement, slotting the Crystal Palace defender alongside Dayot Upamecano in the center of the backline. Lacroix’s only previous minutes in the World Cup came in the final group stage match against Norway, with the defender serving as an unused substitute in every other game. According to RMC Sport‘s Fabrice Hawkins, Saliba’s exit may not have come as a complete surprise to those inside the France camp. Hawkins reported that the Arsenal defender “has been gritting his teeth since the start of the World Cup” while continuing to perform at a high level despite the discomfort. The only match in which he did not feature was the final group stage game against Norway, having completed the full 90 minutes in every other appearance until being forced off against Spain. William Saliba #17 of France walks off the pitch with medical staff after sustaining an injury. Saliba and his ongoing back pain While France have yet to release an official injury report, it is known that Saliba has been managing a back problem that predates the tournament. The first signs emerged during the UEFA Champions League final between Arsenal and PSG, where the defender was spotted receiving treatment from Arsenal’s medical staff during extra time. With Arsenal competing for both the Champions League and the Premier League title in the final weeks of the club season, Saliba was determined to remain available for the run-in. Arsenal’s medical staff put a managed protocol in place to allow him to feature in those final matches, but the underlying issue has clearly persisted, and it has now caught up with him at the worst possible moment.