French fans unhappy with handball before Yamal's penalty kick call petition for semifinal rematch, nearly 50,000 signatures collected

According to a report from French broadcaster RMC on the evening of July 16, French fans have launched an online petition demanding a rematch of the World Cup semifinal between France and Spain, citing a suspected handball by Yamal before he won a penalty. Nearly 50,000 people have signed the petition.

In the first semifinal of the World Cup, which ended yesterday, Spain was awarded a penalty in the 20th minute, and Oyarzabal scored from the spot to put his team ahead.

However, the penalty decision was highly controversial, as Yamal appeared to touch the ball with his hand before drawing a foul from Digne in the box. This penalty call completely changed the flow of the match and severely affected the mentality of the French players.

After the match, French coach Didier Deschamps publicly criticized the Salvadoran referee, Barton, questioning whether he was qualified to officiate a World Cup semifinal.

Fueled by their anger over missing the final, French fans launched an online petition within hours, demanding a rematch of the semifinal.

In the petition, French fans wrote: "France should not have conceded the first goal, as it completely altered the course of the match. Sports competitions must be conducted with respect for the rules, and what happened that night did not align with that principle."

As of now, the initiative has gained strong traction, with the number of signatures exceeding 49,000 by Thursday noon. Clearly, French fans' anger over the referee's decisions in this match has not subsided.

However, RMC also noted that this demand has almost no chance of success: FIFA rules do not support a rematch due to referee errors, even with a large number of fan protests.

The French team appears to have accepted the reality of missing the final, shifting their focus to the third-place playoff two days later. They will face England for the bronze medal of this World Cup at 5 a.m. Beijing time on July 19.