'We can't be content with sloppy play': Rabiot criticises France after World Cup loss
Adrien Rabiot criticised France's first-half display after the 6-4 defeat to England in the World Cup third-place play-off. His remarks underscored frustration within the squad after a 4-0 deficit proved decisive.
- Jul 19, 2026,
- Updated Jul 19, 2026, 2:19 PM IST
- England raced to a 4-0 lead with relentless first-half attacking pressure
- Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and Bukayo Saka scored before the interval
- France responded after half-time as Mbappe scored twice and assisted Barcola
France midfielder Adrien Rabiot criticised his side's attitude after their 6-4 defeat to England in the FIFA World Cup 2026 third-place play-off, describing the first-half performance as "shameful" and saying he witnessed behaviour from some teammates he had "never seen before".
France fell 4-0 behind before the interval as England dominated the opening 45 minutes, leaving Rabiot deeply frustrated with the team's approach in what was their final match of the tournament.
"We started the first half quite shamefully," Rabiot said after the match. "I saw behaviour from some players that I'd never seen before. It's disappointing because it was the last match to do well in this competition. There was work to be done until the very end, and we can't be content with sloppy play like that."
The midfielder said the squad held an honest discussion during the break in an effort to restore pride after the poor opening half.
"We talked at half-time and told ourselves we needed to show some pride. It was much better in the second half because, in the first half, some of the behaviour was unacceptable," he added.
England made a flying start, with Declan Rice opening the scoring inside three minutes before Ezri Konsa doubled the lead. Bukayo Saka then struck twice to send England into the break with a commanding 4-0 advantage.
France mounted a spirited comeback after the restart. Kylian Mbappe scored soon after the interval before setting up Bradley Barcola to make it 4-2. Mbappé then netted again to cut the deficit to a single goal.
England, however, regained control when Saka converted a penalty to complete his hat-trick after Djed Spence was fouled inside the box. Ousmane Dembele pulled one back in stoppage time, but Jude Bellingham's late strike sealed a 6-4 victory for England.
The result brought France's World Cup campaign to an end, with Rabiot's post-match remarks underlining the disappointment within the squad over a first-half display that ultimately proved decisive.
