William Saliba has played 31 times for the France national team. | Photo Credit: AP

France centre-back William Saliba is doubtful for the FIFA World Cup 2026 after not fully recovering from an injury, according to reports.

The 25-year-old played the whole 120 minutes in Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League 2025-26 final penalty shootout loss against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, despite carrying a minor injury he picked up earlier this season.

He was ruled out of France’s friendlies against ​Brazil and Colombia in March after “suffering from recurring ​pain in his ‌left ankle.”

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He then featured in all of Arsenal’s games after the international break, except for the final Premier League game against Crystal Palace.

He has been instrumental for the London club, which lifted the league title after 22 years, forming a solid centre-back partnership with Brazilian Gabriel Magalhaes.

France will begin its World Cup campaign against Senegal on June 17 before taking on Iraq and Norway on June 23 and 27 respectively.

Published on Jun 01, 2026