In the 21st minute of the 2026 World Cup semi-final match between France and Spain, Digne tackled Lamine Yamal in the penalty area. Referee Ivan Barton determined that the French defender had fouled and awarded Spain a penalty. From the 11m spot, Mikel Oyarzabal made no mistake to open the score.
After the match, Digne's handling situation became a topic of debate. Most fans believe that the referee's decision was correct when the French defender made a careless tackle.
Many opinions also directed criticism towards Digne. One fan commented that this was "an amateur handling in a big match". Others said that the 33-year-old defender was too indifferent and let Yamal exploit the mistake thoroughly. Other opinions assessed that Digne put himself in a disadvantageous position when turning around while the opponent was still approaching.
The early goal conceded forced the French team to push up the squad to find an equalizer. However, coach Didier Deschamps' team could not make a difference against Spain's solid defense. In the second half, the bullfighting team scored another goal, thereby closing the 2-0 victory and winning the right to enter the 2026 World Cup final.
Despite becoming the focus of criticism after the semi-finals, this is still one of the few mistakes of Digne at the 2026 World Cup. Before the confrontation with Spain, this left-back played stably, contributing to helping the French team go deep in the tournament. However, the mistake at a turning point caused him to suffer many reactions from fans after "Les Bleus" stopped in the semi-finals.
