William Saliba suffered a gut-wrenching injury early into France’s World Cup semi-final clash with Spain, and honestly, you could feel France’s title hopes crumbling right there with him. Les Bleus went on to lose, sending their dreams of back-to-back glory crashing down in brutal fashion.
The World Cup Dream Crumbles in Slow Motion
It was brutal to watch, man. The influential 25-year-old defender went down untouched on the ball, just a casual turn, and immediately looked absolutely dejected. You knew instantly it was bad; there was no way the Arsenal man was staying on. He stretched out his leg, got treated by the France team doctors, and then was subbed off, thankfully able to walk off without help. Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix had to step in for his second World Cup appearance. Talk about a gut punch! Former England forward Chris Sutton nailed it on BBC Radio 5 Live when he said, "That may be the end to William Saliba's World Cup." He wasn't even under pressure, just turned around and sat down. This is the guy who'd played every single minute of this World Cup, except for that 4-1 Group I win over Norway when Didier Deschamps wisely rested his top stars after progression was already secured. His forced removal was an incredibly untimely setback for Les Bleus, who were already trailing after Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty opener. Spain got ahead in the 22nd minute after Lucas Digne's clumsy tackle on Lamine Yamal in the box. Even with questions swirling about Yamal possibly handling the ball in the build-up, VAR stayed quiet. Oyarzabal then drilled it home past Mike Maignan, who dove the right way but just couldn't get there. Spain then twisted the knife, doubling their lead after the break with an unlikely scorer, Pedro Porro, giving La Roja some real daylight.Arsenal's Season Already Under the Gun
So, France is denied another shot at the World Cup final, which stings, but their tournament isn't technically over yet. They still have that third-place play-off scheduled for Saturday. The massive question now is whether Saliba can even make it back in time for that game. But honestly, the bigger concern has to be what this means for his club, Arsenal. The Gunners have to be absolutely terrified that Saliba has suffered a long-term injury. This isn't just a one-off for the defender, either. His entire 2025/26 season was already maligned by numerous fitness setbacks, causing him to miss a combined twelve matches for both club and country. This suspected muscular injury could not come at a worse time. Arsenal’s season kicks off with the Community Shield against Manchester City on August 16, followed by their Premier League opener against newly-promoted Coventry just five days later. They need Saliba healthy and ready to go if they want to hit the ground running, and this injury just threw a huge wrench in those plans. France might be playing for third on Saturday, but for Saliba, the real fight is for his health and Arsenal’s upcoming season. Everyone connected with the Gunners will be holding their breath waiting for updates, hoping this isn't another long-term absence.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.