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.
🚨 BREAKING! 🤯William Saliba played almost every game in the 2026 World while having a back fracture. 🇫🇷ℹ️ @FabriceHawkins pic.twitter.com/rzJThDqIEi
— Polymarket FC (@PolymarketFC) July 16, 2026
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.
Piala Dunia 2026
Piala Dunia FIFA 2026 akan menjadi edisi paling revolusioner dalam sejarah sepak bola dunia. Turnamen ini untuk pertama kalinya akan diselenggarakan di tiga negara sekaligus, yaitu Amerika Serikat, Kanada, dan Meksiko. Selain itu, jumlah peserta juga meningkat dari 32 menjadi 48 tim, membuka peluang lebih besar bagi negara-negara dari berbagai konfederasi untuk tampil di panggung global. Format baru ini akan menghadirkan lebih banyak pertandingan, atmosfer kompetisi yang lebih luas, serta jangkauan penonton yang semakin besar di seluruh dunia.
Dengan skala yang jauh lebih besar, FIFA menargetkan turnamen ini sebagai ajang yang tidak hanya kompetitif tetapi juga spektakuler dari sisi teknologi dan pengalaman penonton. Stadion-stadion modern di berbagai kota tuan rumah telah dipersiapkan untuk menghadirkan pertandingan berkelas dunia, didukung oleh inovasi seperti peningkatan sistem VAR dan pengalaman digital bagi fans. diprediksi akan menjadi tonggak baru dalam evolusi sepak bola internasional, memperkuat popularitas olahraga ini sekaligus menciptakan momen-momen bersejarah yang akan dikenang dalam waktu lama.
