France fans launch petition to replay World Cup semi-final against Spain after penalty row

French supporters have launched a fast-growing online petition demanding their World Cup 2026 semi-final defeat by Spain be replayed, alleging a crucial refereeing error before La Roja’s opening goal.

The 2-0 loss on Tuesday night in North America ended France’s hopes of reaching the final, but within hours a section of the fanbase were mobilising on social media, insisting the match had been distorted by a contentious penalty decision.

Petition over alleged handball before Spain penalty

According to French outlet RMC, the petition focuses on the incident that led to Spain’s first goal, scored from the spot by Mikel Oyarzabal.

Supporters behind the campaign argue that Lamine Yamal handled the ball in the build-up, before Lucas Digne was penalised for a foul inside the area. They say the handball should have been given instead, which would have prevented the penalty award to Spain.

The text of the petition reads: “كان ينبغي الا تستقبل فرنسا هذا الهدف الاول، لانه غير مجرى المباراة بالكامل. يجب ان تحسم المنافسات الرياضية وفقا للقوانين، وما حدث في تلك الليلة لا يتوافق مع ذلك”.

Translated, the petition states: “France should not have conceded this first goal, because it changed the course of the match completely. Sporting competitions must be decided in accordance with the laws, and what happened that night does not comply with that.”

By Thursday afternoon, more than 45,000 people had signed, reflecting a lingering anger among many French fans over the officiating during the semi-final. The initiative has been widely shared across major social media platforms, sparking fierce debate between supporters of both sides and neutral observers.

FIFA rules make replay highly unlikely

Despite the outcry, the chances of the game being replayed appear virtually non-existent.

RMC notes that FIFA’s regulations do not provide for matches to be replayed purely because of disputed refereeing decisions of this nature, even in the face of widespread public protests. In international football, controversial calls including those involving penalties and subjective interpretations of handball are generally considered part of the game’s accepted risk, especially once the video assistant referee (VAR) has reviewed the incident.

Unless there is evidence of a serious technical irregularity, such as a misapplication of the Laws of the Game or proven misconduct by match officials, results are almost never overturned.

Deschamps questions referee but blames his own team

The online campaign follows pointed criticism of the referee, Salvadoran official Ivan Barton, by France head coach Didier Deschamps.

In his post-match comments, Deschamps questioned whether Barton was sufficiently prepared to handle a World Cup semi-final of such magnitude. At the same time, he acknowledged that tactical and technical mistakes by his own players were, in his view, the primary reason for the defeat.

While Deschamps’ remarks added fuel to the debate over the officiating, the French Football Federation has not lodged any formal appeal seeking a replay, and there is no indication that FIFA intends to review the result.

France turn to England, Spain focus on Argentina

With hopes of a replay effectively dashed under existing rules, France must now switch their attention to the third-place play-off.

Les Bleus will face England on Saturday in the match for the bronze medal, attempting to salvage a podium finish from a campaign that had promised more.

Spain, meanwhile, prepare for Sunday’s final against Argentina, as they chase a second world title. The controversy over the semi-final has done little to distract La Roja, who are now one win away from lifting the World Cup trophy again.

For many French fans, however, the sense of grievance over that decisive penalty call and the belief that “the match was changed completely” is likely to linger long after the tournament concludes.