2026 World Cup, France vs. Spain: Digne, what are you doing?
France vs. Spain, the first semifinal of the 2026 World Cup, kicked off with a dramatic twist—or, to be precise, a glaring mistake. In the 22nd minute of the first half, the match in Dallas was broken open in favor of the Spanish national team thanks to a penalty kick converted by Mikel Oyarzabal—though it was caused by a disastrous lapse in concentration by Lucas Digne. The Aston Villa fullback—also known in Italy for his time with Roma—committed a completely avoidable foul while attempting to stop Lamine Yamal in the box, forcing referee Bordon to call the penalty. The final is now further out of reach for Les Bleus, who reached it both in 2018 (winning it) and in 2022 (losing to Argentina).
Oyarzabal, the Basque forward who has proven to be an indispensable player this season—including in Real Sociedad’s run in the Copa del Rey—stepped up to convert the penalty: it was he who had scored the penalty that gave them a temporary lead in the final against Atlético Madrid, before the Colchoneros equalized and the match was decided in extra time and then on penalties, with the Txuri-urdin ultimately triumphing. In short, he is a player accustomed to moments of extreme pressure, and he did not disappoint at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
On the French side, Digne is the only one to come under fire, on a team that had dominated the tournament flawlessly until that evening in Dallas. Les Bleus had reached the semifinals as the only national team to have won all their matches in regulation time, defeating Senegal, Iraq, and Norway in the group stage, and then eliminating Sweden, Paraguay, and Morocco in the knockout rounds. An almost perfect run, now marred by an incident that could prove decisive.
Among France’s standout players in this World Cup is Manu Koné, the Roma midfielder who has become a mainstay in Didier Deschamps’ lineup. His performance in the tournament has only fueled transfer rumors surrounding him: according to the latest reports, his agents are in England exploring interest from several clubs, while Roma has reportedly set a price tag of around 60 million euros. Roma head coach Gian Piero Gasperini himself has publicly admitted that the situation regarding financial fair play makes the player’s future in the capital uncertain.
Tonight’s semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington will be covered for Rai by the commentary duo of Stefano Bizzotto and Andrea Stramaccioni. For Bizzotto, this is a particularly significant event: it is the ninth World Cup he has covered for Italian public television, as well as the final World Cup broadcast of his career. The final, scheduled for Sunday, July 19, in New York, will instead be covered by Alberto Rimedio and Lele Adani.
