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Les Bleus have hit a major obstacle on their path to the World Cup.
Arsenal defender William Saliba has many doubts for the tournament after suffering a back injury a few weeks ago.
The 25-year-old centre-back reportedly underwent initial scans on Monday, but fears are growing that the defender will require an extended period of rest and treatment, forcing him to miss the competition entirely, according to ESPN.
According to reports from foot marketArsenal centre-back William Saliba was already suffering from a back injury in Saturday’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. He played the full 120 minutes in Budapest, but reportedly aggravated the problem during the painful penalty shootout loss, seriously jeopardizing his status in the tournament.
Losing Saliba would be a devastating blow for both the player and coach Didier Deschamps. The Frenchman is fresh off a monster season, playing 50 games to anchor Arsenal’s Premier League title campaign and take them to the Champions League final.
If ruled out, France will have to rely on a defensive corps including Ibrahima Konaté, Jules Koundé and Dayot Upamecano to steady the ship in Group I against Senegal, Iraq and Norway.
FIFA World Cup 2026: How to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34) and each match will be streamed live and on-demand on both FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, as will the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
