France’s William Saliba Gets Injured in World Cup Semifinal: A Super Simple Explanation

Updated July 14, 2026, 3:48 p.m. ET

Editor’s note: You can follow the Spain-France semifinal live! (We just wanted to let you know so you can watch the action as it happens.)

The Big Injury News

France got some bad news during the first half of its World Cup semifinal (that’s one of the last two games to decide who goes to the final) against Spain. A very important player named William Saliba had to stop playing because he got hurt.

Here’s what happened, step by step:

1. Saliba is a defender (think of him as a guard who tries to stop the other team from scoring goals) for France and also plays for a club team called Arsenal.
2. He was near the middle of the field (called midfield) with the ball.
3. He fell down without anyone from Spain touching him — ouch!
4. It looked like he pulled or hurt a muscle (the stretchy parts in your body that help you move).
5. He walked off the field with a limp (like when your leg hurts and you can’t step normally).
6. Another player named Maxence Lacroix came in to replace him in the 30th minute (that means 30 minutes after the game started).

Important Point: When Saliba got hurt, France was already losing. Spain had scored a goal in the 22nd minute from a penalty spot (a special kick given because of a rule break). The score was 1-0 for Spain.

Saliba Was Already Playing Hurt

Last month, Saliba told reporters that he had been playing even though he felt some pain during the World Cup. This is because he had a very long season playing for his club team.

Here is what he said, exactly:

"I’ve had some minor niggles for several months," Saliba said. "I’ve been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff are handling it very well.

"The World Cup comes round only once every four years, so you’ve got to grit your teeth. I’m not at 100%, but there are plenty of players who aren’t at 100% either — you can’t make excuses."

What does that mean in kid language?

• "Minor niggles" = small aches or pains.
• "Gritting my teeth" = trying hard and bearing the pain without complaining.
• "Champions League" and "Premier League" = big soccer competitions his club team played in before the World Cup.
• He says the World Cup is super special because it only happens every four years, so he pushed through. He also says many players aren’t perfectly healthy, so no one should make excuses.

USA TODAY at the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 World Cup is the largest ever! Imagine a giant soccer party with:

• Reporters from USA TODAY in all 16 host cities (places where games are played).
• These cities are in three countries (the USA, Canada, and Mexico).
• 48 teams (groups of players from different nations) trying to win the trophy.

If you want updates, you can:

• Get the World Cup: Extra Time newsletter in your inbox every morning.
• Join their WhatsApp channel to get texts with the latest news.

Also, if you want to know about the USA team, there is a feature called "Meet Team USA 2026: Get to know the athletes behind the games."

Fun note: There is a photo gallery showing Spain and France dueling for a World Cup final spot in Texas, if you want to see pictures.

Where to Watch the Games

If you live in the United States, here is how you can watch:

• Fox and FS1 (TV channels) show all games in English.
• Telemundo shows them in Spanish.
• You can also stream (watch online) in Spanish on Peacock (a streaming service).

How the World Cup Knockout Round Works

After the first part of the tournament, the games become a single-elimination tournament. That’s a fancy way of saying: if you lose, you go home!

Here are the simple steps:

1. There are 32 teams left when the knockout stage starts.
2. They are placed into a bracket (like a diagram showing who plays whom, similar to a tree).
3. Teams play each other; the winner stays, the loser is out.
4. After each round, the number of teams is cut in half (32 → 16 → 8 → 4 → 2 → 1).
5. This continues until one team is crowned champion.
6. Exception: The two teams that lose in the semifinals play one more game for third place before the big final.

Knockout Stage Bracket, Matchups, and Schedule

Let’s look at who played whom and where. (All dates are in July 2026.)

Round of 16

• July 4: France beat Paraguay – Philadelphia
• July 4: Morocco beat Canada – Houston
• July 5: Norway beat Brazil – East Rutherford
• July 5: England beat Mexico – Mexico City
• July 6: Spain beat Portugal – Arlington
• July 6: Belgium beat USA – Seattle
• July 7: Argentina beat Egypt – Atlanta
• July 7: Switzerland beat Colombia – Vancouver

Quarterfinals

• July 9: France beat Morocco – Foxborough
• July 10: Spain beat Belgium – Inglewood
• July 11: England beat England – Miami (as originally reported)
• July 11: Argentina beat Switzerland – Kansas City

Semifinals

• July 14: France vs. Spain – Arlington
• July 15: England vs. Argentina – Atlanta

Final

• July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey

Important: The game on July 14 (France vs Spain) is the one where Saliba got hurt, and it’s happening in Arlington.

Summary

To wrap it up in a nutshell:

• France’s key defender William Saliba left the World Cup semifinal against Spain with a muscle injury in the 30th minute, after falling without contact.
• France was already down 1-0 from a Spain penalty kick.
• Saliba had admitted he was playing through pain because the World Cup is rare and special.
• The 2026 World Cup is huge, with USA TODAY covering it everywhere, and you can watch on Fox, FS1, Telemundo, or Peacock.
• The tournament is now in knockout (lose-and-go-home) mode, with the final set for July 19 in New Jersey.

FAQ

Q1: What is a semifinal in the World Cup?
A: It’s one of the two games played to decide which two teams will go to the final. The winners of the semifinals play for the trophy; the losers play for third place.

Q2: Why did William Saliba leave the France vs Spain match?
A: He fell near midfield without being touched and appeared to have a muscle injury. He limped off and was replaced by Maxence Lacroix in the 30th minute.

Q3: What does "single-elimination" mean?
A: It means each game is do-or-die: if your team loses, it is out of the tournament and can’t win the cup. The teams keep playing until only one champion remains.

Q4: Where can I watch the 2026 World Cup in the US?
A: You can watch on TV via Fox and FS1 (English) or Telemundo (Spanish). Spanish streaming is on Peacock.

Q5: When and where is the 2026 World Cup final?
A: It’s on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.