Saliba’s early exit forces France into a World Cup semi‑final crisis

William Saliba was forced off in the opening half‑hour of France’s World Cup semi‑final defeat to Spain on Tuesday, clutching his back and shouting “my back is gone, my back is gone”. The abrupt substitution marked the decisive moment of the match and highlighted the severity of his recurring back injury. Saliba has been battling a back injury throughout the World Cup and for most of 2026, missing multiple training sessions with France to stay match‑fit. The problem has followed him since the tournament began, limiting his preparation for each game. The situation came to a head on Tuesday when his back flared up again, prompting the early removal. The Arsenal defender could not continue beyond the first thirty minutes, ending his involvement in the semi‑final. Julien Laurens reported that Saliba repeatedly told the medical staff, “my back is gone, my back is gone”, capturing the player’s frustration and the urgency of the decision. His repeated pleas underscored the urgency of the medical decision. Technically, Saliba’s World Cup campaign is not over because France still have the third‑place play‑off on Saturday, but realistically there is no realistic chance he will feature, and he is expected to withdraw from the camp to focus on recovery.

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HandofArsenal suggested that Saliba may require a medical procedure to fully heal, a prospect that could jeopardise the start of his 2026/27 season and adds uncertainty to his return to club football. It is now just one month and one day until Arsenal face Manchester City in the Community Shield, and in all likelihood Saliba will miss that match, highlighting the impact of his absence on the Gunners’ pre‑season plans. For the Premier League club, Saliba previously missed around three months of football in 2022/23 with a back problem, his longest spell out since joining Arsenal. He made 50 appearances as Arsenal won the Premier League and reached the finals of the Champions League and League Cup this season, and the Gunners have often struggled without him. If the defender cannot endure the pain of a World Cup semi‑final, the issue is clearly significant and may require extended treatment, even if it means a prolonged absence from both club and country duties. The prolonged absence would affect both his national team duties and Arsenal’s defensive stability. Photos by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images, Shaun Botterill/Getty, Michael Regan/Getty and Clive Brunskill/Getty documented the incident. The images captured both the moment of his exit and the concern of teammates.