Breaking: William Saliba suffered a serious injury at the World Cup!

There are sacrifices, and then there are the ones William Saliba made in the summer of 2026. The French centre-back carried a secret onto the World Cup pitch—one that, had it been known, might have stopped him from playing at all. According to journalist Fabrice Hawkins, Saliba suited up for nearly every one of France's matches while nursing a fractured vertebra in his back.

From the opening whistle of the tournament, the pain was there—a constant, gnawing companion that never loosened its grip. But Saliba pushed it aside, driven by a fierce loyalty to his teammates and his nation's colors. He performed at an elite level, match after match, masking his injury behind grit and determination. That resolve, however, had its limits. In the semi-final showdown against Spain, his body finally shouted louder than his will. Just half an hour into the contest, the defender was forced to stagger off the pitch, his World Cup dream effectively over. Without him, France crumbled, falling 0-2 and watching their hopes evaporate.

Now, back at Arsenal, the waiting game begins. The club is eager to get him home for a thorough assessment, with surgery hovering as a real possibility. For now, though, no one—not the doctors, not the coaches, not even Saliba himself—can say how long the road to recovery will be. The price of patriotism, it seems, is measured in more than just medals.

Hazem Mlhem |

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Hazem Mlhem est un rédacteur sportif expérimenté, animé par une passion pour le football africain.