Table of Contents
Les Bleus have hit a major roadblock on their road to the World Cup.
Arsenal defender William Saliba is highly doubtful for the tournament after suffering a back injury a few weeks ago.
The 25-year-old center back reportedly underwent initial scans Monday, but fears are mounting that the defender will require an extended period of rest and treatment, forcing him to miss the competition entirely, per ESPN.
According to reports from Foot Mercato, Arsenal center back William Saliba was already carrying a back injury into Saturday's Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. He played the full 120 minutes in Budapest, but reportedly aggravated the issue during the painful penalty-shootout loss, putting his tournament status in serious jeopardy.
Losing Saliba would be a devastating blow for both the player and manager Didier Deschamps. The Frenchman is fresh off a monstrous season, playing 50 games to anchor Arsenal’s Premier League title campaign and leading them to the Champions League final.
If he is ruled out, France will have to rely on a defensive corps that includes Ibrahima Konaté, Jules Koundé, and Dayot Upamecano to steady the ship in Group I against Senegal, Iraq, and Norway.
2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament matches will air live across FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with every match streaming live and on-demand within both the FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than one-third of the tournament, will air in prime time across FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The opening match on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will stream for free on Tubi, as well as the USA's opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
share
recommended
2026 World Cup Odds: Spain Narrowly Favored Over France
2026 World Cup Power Rankings: Every Team Ranked From 48 to 1
USA Player Ratings vs. Senegal: Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun Stand Out In Win
2026 World Cup Schedule: All Games, Dates, Matchups and How To Watch
Top 100 Players In The 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ranked
USA's 2026 FIFA World Cup Roster: The 26 Players Ready To Make History
Pulisic Ends Scoring Drought, Balogun Scores To Lift USA Over Senegal
USA Would Love A Pre-World Cup Win. Does The Team Actually Need One?
Matt Turner And Ricardo Pepi Start For USA In Friendly Against Senegal
Arrow pointing to the leftArrow pointing to the right
Item 1 of 3 
Get more from the FIFA Men's World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic 
FIFA Men's World Cup 
France 
Arsenal 
William Saliba
NEXT STORY
4 Takeaways From USA's 3-2 Win Over Senegal In Pre-World Cup Friendly
recommended
2026 World Cup Odds: Spain Narrowly Favored Over France
2026 World Cup Power Rankings: Every Team Ranked From 48 to 1
USA Player Ratings vs. Senegal: Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun Stand Out In Win
2026 World Cup Schedule: All Games, Dates, Matchups and How To Watch
Top 100 Players In The 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ranked
USA's 2026 FIFA World Cup Roster: The 26 Players Ready To Make History
Pulisic Ends Scoring Drought, Balogun Scores To Lift USA Over Senegal
USA Would Love A Pre-World Cup Win. Does The Team Actually Need One?
Matt Turner And Ricardo Pepi Start For USA In Friendly Against Senegal
Arrow pointing to the leftArrow pointing to the right
Item 1 of 3Original Article
