France vs Spain World Cup 2026

Did Lamine Yamal Handle The Ball During France vs Spain World Cup 2026?

Sportsdunia Desk

Published - Jul 15, 2026, 07:18 AM

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Did Lamine Yamal Handle The Ball During France vs Spain World Cup 2026?

Summary

Spain and Lamine Yamal were subjects of intense debate following their 2-0 win over France in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal on Tuesday at Dallas Stadium.
The breakthrough moment for La Roja came following a foul by Les Blues left back Lucas Digne on Yamal in the 20th minute after a mistimed clearance led him to catching the Spanish winger.
Debate ensued on social media following the awarding of the penalty as many felt the Barcelona star handled the ball during the incident.

Luis de la Fuente and Spain national football team managed their way to a 2-0 win over tournament favorites France courtesy of goals on either side of half time from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro. However, the discussions following full time on social media and football pundits covering the game revolved around the awarding of the penalty after Barcelona star Lamine Yamal handball.

The incident in question happened in the 20th minute after Marc Cucurella's deep cross into the box was controlled by Lucas Digne with his chest before Digne's attempted clearance caught Yamal. While the referee was quick to point to the spot in favor of Spain, many fans highlight that Yamal had handled the ball during Digne's challenge. While technical team from France vs Spain World Cup 2026 were up in protest over the incident, their calls were ignored as Mikel Oyarzabal went on to step up and open the scoring for La Roja.

Did Lamine Yamal handle the ball against France?

Several fans believe the Spaniard did handle the ball, but the VAR officials in charge of the game couldn't intervene since it was not a clear and obvious error. Even football pundits covering the game felt that the contact is on the sleeve of Yamal, which would not have been considered part of the arm.

Similar incidents have also been deemed not handball in previous games in the 2026 tournament, most notably being Harry Kane's handball against Mexico during the Round of 16 clash. While the consistency of not calling it an offence seems fair for Spain, their European counterparts from France continue to feel aggrieved.

What's Next For Spain Following Win over France?

La Roja will now await the winner of the Argentina vs England semifinal clash on July 15, taking place at Atlanta Stadium pitting Lionel Messi against Harry Kane. While both sides enter the game full of confidence and determined to script history, Lamine Yamal and Spain stand in their way of tasting FIFA World Cup glory in 2026.