Were France Denied Handball Before Conceding Penalty Against Spain? Rules Explained
France's dream of winning the FIFA World Cup 2026 came to a heartbreaking end on Tuesday as they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Spain in the semi-finals.
- France lost 2-0 to Spain in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals ending their tournament run
- Kylian Mbappe failed to score and appeared out of form in the crucial semi-final match
- France coach Didier Deschamps accused referee Ivan Arcides Barton Cisneros of bias
France's dream of winning the FIFA World Cup 2026 came to a heartbreaking end on Tuesday as they suffered a 2-0 defeat against Spain in the semi-finals. Kylian Mbappe, who had enjoyed an impressive run in the tournament, looked out of sorts and failed to get on the scoresheet. However, the match also became the latest controversial fixture of the World Cup, with France head coach Didier Deschamps accusing referee Ivan Arcides Barton Cisneros of bias, particularly over the penalty awarded to Lamine Yamal.
For the uninitiated, the incident occurred in the 22nd minute when Lucas Digne misjudged the ball with his first touch and then attempted to clear it. Instead, he caught Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area. The Spain winger had got in front of the French defender before being brought down, prompting the referee to award a penalty. Mikel Oyarzabal made no mistake from the spot to give Spain the lead. By half-time, however, social media was flooded with claims that Yamal had handled the ball in the build-up to the penalty.
Hey @grok, was the Spain penalty call against France the right decision? pic.twitter.com/EZZsTQILSm
— Larry (@UTDlarry) July 15, 2026
What do the rules say?
According to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) Laws of the Game, a handball offence is determined using the "T-shirt line" as the reference point, with the boundary set at the bottom of the armpit. Any contact above that point is not considered handball, even though modern shirt sleeves may extend lower down the arm.
In Yamal's case, the ball appeared to make contact with his arm, but his arm was tucked close to his body and his elbow remained in a natural position. Under the current interpretation of the law, such contact does not constitute a punishable handball offence.
Deschamps disappointed
Deschamps could not hide his frustration after the match and took aim at referee Barton, who awarded Spain the early penalty after Digne brought down Yamal in the first half.
"I'll ask a loaded question and I won't answer it," Deschamps said. "Is the referee at the level required to officiate a World Cup semi-final?
"And I'm not saying this just because we lost today. There were quite a few situations. There were some favourable calls, too," he said, without elaborating.
France
Spain