World Cup 2026: Why Spain's Penalty Against France Was Allowed Despite Lamine Yamal's Handball
- Spain were awarded a penalty against France in their 2026 World Cup semi-final on 14 July after Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal in the box
- Swedish referee Victor explained that ball contact was on Yamal's sleeve, which does not constitute a handball offence under IFAB laws
- Mikel Oyarzabal converted the spot-kick, and Pedro Porro added a second as Spain sealed a place in the World Cup final
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Spain advanced to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after a 2-0 victory over France in a semi-final played in Dallas on July 14, though the match was overshadowed by debate over a first-half penalty awarded to the Spanish side.
The incident centred on a challenge by Lucas Digne on Lamine Yamal inside the French penalty area.
Before the referee pointed to the spot, however, replays showed what appeared to be contact between the ball and Yamal's arm in the build-up, raising immediate questions over whether the decision should have stood.
Source: Getty Images
Why was Spain awarded a penalty despite Yamal's handball
Active Swedish referee and instructor Victor weighed in on the controversy, explaining that the point of contact was crucial to the decision.
He also described Lucas Digne's challenge as careless, arguing that the France defender should have been aware of Lamine Yamal's movement inside the penalty area.
Watch the controversial moment involving Yamal, as shared on X:
To support his view, Victor pointed to two similar incidents from the tournament involving Luka Modrić and Harry Kane, both of which resulted in penalties.
Addressing the handball claim, he said Yamal did not deliberately handle the ball or use his arm to make his body unnaturally bigger. Instead, his arm was in a natural position when the ball made contact.
Victor added that the outcome would have been different had Yamal gone on to score immediately after the touch, as the goal would likely have been ruled out for accidental handball.
Watch referee Victor's explainer, as shared on X:
Instead, the sequence ended with Digne's foul, making the penalty decision the correct one.
His explanation is consistent with the International Football Association Board (IFAB) Laws of the Game, which state that a player commits a handball offence if they:
"score a goal directly with their hand or arm, or score immediately after the ball accidentally touches their hand or arm."
Because the ball struck above the handball boundary on Yamal's sleeve, the contact did not meet the criteria for a punishable handball.
Spain seals World Cup final spot
With the penalty awarded, Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and converted to give Spain the lead in the 22nd minute.
It was the first time France had fallen behind at any point during the tournament, and they never found a way back into the contest.
A close-range strike from Pedro Porro later in the match sealed the result and confirmed Spain's passage to the final, according to The Athletic.
The victory sets up a showdown on July 19 in New Jersey, where Spain will face either England or Argentina, who meet in their semi-final on 18 July in Miami.
France will play in the third-place play-off against the loser of that match.
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
