French fans launch petition to replay Spain semi-final

France fans have launched an online petition calling for their World Cup semi-final against Spain to be replayed after the 2-0 defeat in 2026.

The petition appeared hours after the match and quickly gathered more than 55,000 signatures. Its focus is the first-half penalty awarded to Spain, which led to the opening goal.

Supporters backing the request claim Lamine Yamal handled the ball before the penalty was given and argue the decision changed the course of the game. The petition text says France should not have conceded the first goal and that the laws were not applied correctly on the night.

Fifa has not commented on the petition. Under the game’s rules, a match is not replayed simply because fans dispute a refereeing decision, so the result will stand.