Given France had only conceded one goal at the tournament prior to their meeting with Spain, it looked as if Saliba and his teammates were well placed to hold on to their early lead.
However, an unforgettable moment by 16-year-old Lamine Yamal turned the game on its head, and Spain never looked back.
Along with his France teammates, Saliba will now head on a short holiday before eventually returning to pre-season with Arsenal.
Of course, earlier in the summer it didn’t appear as if the Arsenal man would be playing any significant minutes for Didier Deschamps at the Euros.
William Saliba of France battles for possession with Alvaro Morata of Spain during the UEFA EURO 2024 Semi-Final match between Spain and France at ...
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Deschamps saw two big weaknesses in Saliba’s game, however the defender was able to change his manager’s mind and enjoy an ‘exceptional’ tournament as a result.
That being said, French media have now been delivering their verdict on Saliba’s display against Spain, which was still ‘very valuable’ to his country’s efforts.
‘Exceptional’ William Saliba was still France’s most reliable defender in Spain defeat
L’Equipe’s review is always a good place to start – famed for their harsh verdicts on France’s performances.
However, the outlet was still complimentary regarding Saliba in some regards, hailing him ‘the most reliable defender’ even if he played a part in Spain’s second goal.
L’Equipe handed Saliba a 6/10 – the highest rating for France and wrote: “What should we remember from his match? His header back into the middle towards Olmo (2-1, 25th)? Or his effective bursts into the feet of the Olmo-Morata duo? Both.
“Attentive, he put impact into his interventions and cut off a few cross situations, notably in front of Morata (12th). He was, over the duration of the match, the most reliable defender.
“We probably expect more from him in the first half.”
Footmercato also mentioned Saliba’s hand in Olmo’s goal, but were again full of praise for the Arsenal defender on the whole.
They shared: “Exceptional during these Euros, he was pretty good tonight too.
“A few approximations it’s true, like his header on Olmo for the second Spanish goal, but also some good interventions in front of Alvaro Morata for example.
“He cleared several dangerous balls in his area and was generally pretty clean with the ball.”
Saliba’s Arsenal form is finally being recognised for France
FranceTV also shared their verdict on the Arsenal defender’s display, saying Saliba asserted his position as the ‘boss’ of this French defence at Euro 2024.
They shared: “Once again, the central defender was very, very valuable.
Mike Maignan and William Saliba of France show dejection after defeat to Spain in the UEFA EURO 2024 Semi-Final match between Spain and France at M...
Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
“If Alvaro Morata touched so few balls, Saliba had something to do with it, with numerous interventions to take the ball away from him before he had time to shoot, like in the 12th minute before the Spaniard tried a header.
“The Arsenal player asserted himself as the boss of the Blues’ defence in this Euro.”
So all in all, a successful tournament for the Arsenal defender, even if he will be disappointed not to make the final with his country.
But this summer feels like a significant turning point in Saliba’s international career, who surely won’t ever be at risk of sitting as a substitute for Deschamps again.
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