Lamine Yamal won a crucial penalty for Spain in their FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final clash against France, held in Dallas.

Mikel Oyarzabal converted the spot-kick to give Luis De La Fuente’s team the advantage, but the decision by referee Ivan Barton quickly became a point of debate.

Although Lucas Digne was clearly seen making contact with Yamal, the French players appealed, claiming that Yamal had committed a handball offence in the buildup to the foul.

However, ITV Sport’s rules analyst Christina Unkel dismissed that argument, supporting the on-field ruling made by the Salvadoran referee. She drew comparisons between Digne’s foul and earlier incidents in the tournament involving Harry Kane against Mexico and Luka Modric against England.

Unkel explained, “It’s an accurate review to note that the contact occurred on Yamal’s sleeve, which is not considered part of the arm. Therefore, it would not qualify as a handling offence. The penalty decision should stand. As with Harry Kane, players commit to the challenge, but they must understand they have the option to avoid contact.”

Meanwhile, Gary Neville criticised Digne’s defensive approach, pointing out his failure to track Yamal’s positioning.

When asked by ITV Sport whether Digne should have been more alert to Yamal’s movement, Neville responded, “Yes, particularly when facing such an exceptional player on the outside. You must always be aware of his location. Digne initially closed his body off but lost sight of Yamal. Players like Modric and Kane have been in similar situations, but Digne needed better awareness. He wasn’t even conscious of Yamal’s presence—he had no idea he was there.”