Why Spain Got a Penalty After Lamine Yamal's Handball vs France
- Former FIFA referee Christina Unkel said Spain's penalty against France was correctly awarded despite handball claims involving Lamine Yamal
- Unkel explained the ball struck Yamal's sleeve, meaning no handball offence had occurred before the foul
- France disputed the decision before William Saliba was forced off injured later in the first half
Former FIFA referee and rules expert Christina Unkel has cast her verdict on whether Spain deserved their first-half penalty against France in the World Cup semi-final on Tuesday night.
While Lucas Digne clearly kicked Lamine Yamal in the penalty box, there has been some speculation over whether the teenage sensation actually handled the ball in the same incident as he fell to ground.
No retrospective action can be taken now that Mikel Oyazarbal converted the penalty in the 22nd minute, but it may remain a talking point should La Roja defend their lead and book a place in Sunday evening's final at MetLife Stadium.
Source: Getty Images
Why Yamal's penalty was allowed to stand
After analysing the footage, Unkel explained, during ITV's live coverage via Givemesport:
"The actual point of contact was on a part of the sleeve on Yamal, therefore it would not be considered an offence. As for the original decision for penalty, it should stand.
"Unfortunately, this is a similar incident to the one with Harry Kane, where a player has already committed to the challenge - however, they still have this onus and opportunity to avoid contact."
Didier Deschamps was among those in the French camp that bemoaned the decision, and Les Bleues nigth quickly went from bad to worse when Arsenal defender William Saliba was forced off through injury minutes later.
Spain beat France to reach 2026 World Cup final
In a dominant collective display, Spain beat France 2-0 on Tuesday in the World Cup 2026 semi-finals and booked their place in the final.
The goals came from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro. It is another Spain victory over France — a pattern that now extends to the 2024 European Championship and the 2025 Nations League.
Kylian Mbappe was largely anonymous throughout, and De la Fuente's side controlled the contest: dominant in possession in the first half, they accelerated their play in the second and sealed the win with a devastating counter-attack.
According to Sports Mole, the 2026 World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium next Sunday, July 19.
Spain await the winners of England versus Argentina — played on Wednesday, July 15 in Miami — as they seek a second world title.
France, meanwhile, will face the loser of that semi-final in the third-place play-off on Saturday, July 18.
Source: Getty Images
Why did FIFA introduce new balls for semi-finals
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Adidas unveiled the Trionda Final as the official match ball for the closing stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The redesigned ball keeps the same technology as the original Trionda and marks the first time FIFA has introduced a special match ball exclusively for the semi-finals, third-place play-off and final.
Source: YEN.com.gh
