France midfielder Adrien Rabiot did not hold back in his criticism of his teammates following their World Cup exit, labeling their first-half performance against England as "shameful" and "unacceptable."
Les Bleus, the 2018 World Cup champions, conceded four goals in the opening half of the bronze final in Miami, ultimately losing the match 6-4. This defeat followed their semi-final elimination to Spain.
Rabiot expressed disappointment with the team's attitude, stating, "We started the first half quite shamefully. 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."
He added that despite the team's second-half comeback, the initial display was inexcusable. "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."
French publication L'Equipe reportedly gave low ratings to several Premier League players in the French squad, with Manchester City's Rayan Cherki and Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate, along with Chelsea's Malo Gusto, each receiving a 2/10. During the match, Cherki was observed dismissively waving away a coach during a hydration break, seemingly ignoring instructions.
This comes after captain Kylian Mbappe also voiced criticism following the semi-final loss to Spain. Mbappe questioned the team's tactics, communication, and technical execution, suggesting that France did not play the game they intended. He acknowledged his own responsibility, stating, "At the end of the day, you take all the glory when you win, and when you don't win, you have to take the s***."
Didier Deschamps, who was hoping to depart as manager on a high note before his planned exit after the 2026 World Cup, is set to be succeeded by Zinedine Zidane. Zidane will be tasked with harnessing the potential of the French squad.