France Faces Defensive Setback Ahead of Spain Clash

The French national football team is confronting injury issues just three days before their highly anticipated 2026 World Cup semifinal against Spain, according to reports from the sports newspaper L'Équipe.

France and Spain, both considered leading contenders for the championship, will meet for the third consecutive year in a semifinal match held at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Tuesday, July 14. Their previous encounters were at Euro 2024 and the 2025 UEFA Nations League.

L'Équipe reported that central defenders Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba did not participate in the team's training session on Saturday prior to traveling to Dallas for the semifinal. Upamecano suffered a sudden foot injury, while Saliba continues to experience back pain.

The source added that Saliba's training schedule had been adjusted since the start of the tournament to accommodate his ongoing back discomfort, resulting in reduced training intensity. Upamecano's absence was directly linked to his foot injury.

The French coach hopes that Upamecano will recover in time for the match against Spain. Meanwhile, the rest of the squad, including Kylian Mbappé, trained normally. Mbappé had left the field during the final ten minutes of the previous match against Morocco, which France won 2-0, due to mild pain.