​French center back William Saliba was substituted during the first half of Les Bleus’ FIFA World Cup semifinal against Spain after a persistent back problem ultimately took its toll.The 25-year-old Saliba arrived at the World Cup carrying a back issue following an exhausting club season at Arsenal that culminated in a UEFA Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain. Around the 29th minute against Spain, the French defender was routinely retreating when he abruptly lost his footing and dropped to the Dallas Stadium field, just minutes after Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring for La Roja from the penalty spot.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhile French medical staff and teammates attended to him, the 25-year-old could be seen mouthing “My back is gone, my back is gone” in French. He was eventually replaced by Crystal Palace’s 26-year-old defender Maxence Lacroix. The substitution followed fans disrupting a moment of silence before the France-Spain kickoff, as per The Mirror US.Who is the referee for the Spain vs France FIFA World Cup semifinal?-Credit:NurPhoto, NurPhoto via Getty ImagesLacroix was later caught ball-watching on a delayed run by Spanish fullback Pedro Porro into the French box for Spain’s second goal in the 58th minute.The typically resilient Saliba acknowledged his physical struggles during the World Cup group phase. “I’ve had some minor niggles for several months,” he told reporters in late June.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”I’ve been gritting my teeth because there was the Champions League and the Premier League. But the coaching staff [is] handling it very well. The World Cup comes around only once every four years, so you’ve got to grit your teeth. I’m not at 100 percent, but there are plenty of players who aren’t at 100 percent either. You can’t make excuses.”The past few years have been grueling for Saliba at Arsenal, with the Gunners embroiled in four straight Premier League title races deep into the season while simultaneously competing for European silverware.Saliba suffered a back injury in March 2023, at a time when Arsenal were surprisingly leading the Premier League standings, forcing him to sit out the final stretch and watch his side surrender the title to Manchester City.To listen to the latest episode of ‘All Out Soccer’ – CLICK HEREAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 25-year-old has anchored France’s backline in six matches during their 2026 World Cup run to the semifinal, having already logged 12 Champions League appearances and 30 Premier League starts for Arsenal.Widely regarded as one of the finest central defenders in the world, Saliba has already earned three Premier League Team of the Season honors and entered Tuesday’s game in excellent form.According to Opta, Saliba’s defensive unit surrendered just one non-penalty goal across his last 13 appearances spanning 1,155 minutes for both France and Arsenal. That solitary goal came in inconsequential circumstances — a 95th-minut