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France defender William Saliba made an early exit from the World Cup semi-final match.

France’s World Cup semi-final clash against Spain in Dallas took a further downturn on Tuesday night.

The two-time world champions found themselves trailing midway through the first half after Lucas Digne conceded a penalty, which gave Spain the advantage.

Mikel Oyarzabal converted from the spot in the 22nd minute to put La Roja ahead, and matters worsened for Didier Deschamps’ team shortly after the hydration break.

Les Bleus were forced into an early substitution when William Saliba had to leave the pitch around the 30-minute mark, with Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix coming on in his place.

The Arsenal centre-back had been one of France’s standout players as they aimed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup final in this expanded 48-team edition of the tournament.

Saliba played a crucial role in maintaining France’s record of never falling behind in any match during the competition, a feat they shared with Spain prior to this semi-final.

However, his involvement came to an abrupt end when he went down on the pitch without any contact, signalling discomfort in his back to the French bench.

The 25-year-old has been struggling with back problems throughout the tournament, with reports suggesting that France’s coaching staff had adjusted his training workload between matches to manage the issue.

Despite these difficulties, Saliba remained a key presence for France, completing the full 90 minutes in five of their first six games of the tournament.

At club level, Saliba was equally consistent last season, making 50 appearances across all competitions as Arsenal ended a 22-year drought to win the Premier League and also reached the Champions League final.

Supporters of Mikel Arteta’s side will now be anxious that his latest setback does not rule him out of a possible World Cup final appearance or the start of Arsenal’s upcoming campaign.

The English champions are scheduled to face Manchester City in the Community Shield on 16 August before beginning their Premier League title defence against Coventry City on 21 August.