Spain’s 2-0 win over France in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was shaped by a key first-half decision that quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the tournament. Lamine Yamal won a penalty to give Spain the lead, but replays sparked wide debate over whether the move should have been stopped for a possible handball in the build-up.
The incident that changed the semi-final
The decisive moment came in the 22nd minute at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. French defender Lucas Digne initially tried to control a loose ball in his own penalty area before attempting to clear at the second attempt.As Digne swung his right foot, Yamal slipped through his blind side and got to the loose ball first. Instead of making clean contact with the ball, Digne caught the Spanish winger in the thigh and torso in the area.
France’s Lucas Digne tackles Spain’s Lamine Yamal during a World Cup semifinal soccer match in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
The referee Iván Barton immediately indicated the penalty spot.Oyarzabal calmly dispatched the spot-kick to give Spain the lead, marking the first time France had fallen behind during their World Cup campaign.
Because the handball claims did not overturn the decision
Most of the controversy is not centered on Digne’s challenge, but on what happened a split second earlier.Slow-motion replays appeared to show the ball ricocheting off Yamal’s arm as he challenged for possession, leading many supporters to argue that Spain should instead have been penalized for handball.Below IFAB Law 12 (Fouls and misconduct)however, not all contact between the ball and a player’s arm constitutes an offense.The Laws state that a player commits handball if he deliberately touches the ball with his hand or arm, or if his hand or arm has made his body “unnaturally larger”.A player is considered to have made his body unnaturally larger only when the position of the hand or arm is not a natural consequence of that specific movement of the body.In Yamal’s case, his elbow remained pressed tightly against his body as he challenged for the loose ball. The apparent contact occurred high on the sleeve area, near what the officials commonly call the “T-shirt line”, which forms the upper limit for handball offenses under the current interpretation of the Laws.Because Yamal’s arm was in a natural position and had not been used to make his body bigger, there was no crime of punishable manipulation.With no previous infringement by Spain, Digne’s kick on Yamal remains the only foul in the sequence, making the correct penalty decision under IFAB regulations.
Rules experts and pundits supported the referee
ITV Sport rules analyst Christina Unkel agreed with the decision on the field and explained why the apparent contact did not constitute handball.“It’s a good analysis to take a look at it, the contact is on Yamal’s sleeve, it wouldn’t be considered part of the arm,” said Unkel.“This would not be remembered for a handling offense. The penalty should stand. Like Harry Kane, they are committed to the challenge, but they have the option of not making contact.”Former England defender Gary Neville also focused his criticism on Digne rather than the officials.“Yes,” Neville replied when he wondered if Digne should have been more aware of Yamal’s movement.“Especially when someone is so bright on the outside, you have to be aware of where he is. He closed his body initially, he has to be aware of where Yamal is.“Modric and Kane did it, but he has to be more aware around him. He is not even aware that he is there, he has no idea.”Both analysts pointed to previous penalties awarded earlier in the tournament involving Harry Kane against Mexico and Luka Modrić against England, noting that once defenders engage in challenges and make contact in the penalty area, they accept the risk of conceding a spot-kick.
Deschamps was not convinced after the exit of France
France manager Didier Deschamps was less than convinced by the official after the final whistle.Although he acknowledges that Spain deserved their victory, the outgoing France manager questions whether referee Barton met the standard required for a World Cup semi-final.“I’m asking you, and I’m not going to answer,” said Deschamps.“I don’t want to come across as a complainer because we lost, but did the referee tonight have the level to officiate a World Cup semi-final?”When asked if he was only referring to the penalty, Deschamps replied: “It’s not just the penalty in question, it’s an accumulation of things.”He later accepted that France were second best on the night, admitting that his players were “devastated” while acknowledging that Spain had controlled the game better technically.Despite the controversy surrounding the opening goal, IFAB’s laws of the game, expert analysis and match officials all pointed to the same conclusion: Yamal did not take a handball penalty before it was missed, making Spain’s penalty both legal and correct.