France midfielder Adrien Rabiot has sharply criticized his teammates' attitude during the first half of their World Cup bronze final match against England, which the team ultimately lost 6-4. Rabiot called the team's initial performance "shameful" and "unacceptable," expressing disappointment with the behavior he witnessed on the field.
"We started the first half quite shamefully (losing 0-4)," Rabiot told beIN Sports. "I saw behavior from some players that I'd never seen before. It's a bit disappointing, because it was the last match to do well in this competition."
Despite a second-half comeback that narrowed the deficit, Rabiot insisted that the first-half display was not up to par. "There's a lot of disappointment after the loss against Spain, but there was work to be done until the very end, and we can't just be content with sloppy play like that," he stated. "We talked at halftime, we told ourselves we needed to show some pride, and it was much better in the second half, because in the first half, some of the behavior was unacceptable."
This criticism follows comments from French captain Kylian Mbappe, who also expressed dissatisfaction with the team's tactics and communication following their semi-final elimination by Spain. Mbappe suggested that the team's press was too sloppy and that communication breakdowns contributed to their inability to control the game's tempo.
French publication L'Equipe reportedly gave low ratings to several Premier League players on the French squad, including Rayan Cherki, Ibrahima Konate, and Malo Gusto, who each received a 2/10.
France's World Cup campaign ended after their semi-final loss to Spain, and the bronze final against England was intended to salvage some pride. However, the team conceded four goals in the first half, a performance that drew strong rebukes from senior players.
Didier Deschamps, the head coach, attempted to address the team's issues during a first-half hydration break, but reports indicated tension within the squad, with player Rayan Cherki seen dismissively waving away a coach.
Deschamps, who has managed the French national team throughout Mbappe's international career and handed him the captaincy, is expected to depart after the 2026 World Cup. Zinedine Zidane is reportedly being considered as his successor.
