Adrien Rabiot criticises France teammates following defeat by England

Adrien Rabiot has publicly condemned the “unacceptable” attitude of his France teammates following a 6-4 defeat by England in the 2026 World Cup third-place play-off in Miami.

Didier Deschamps’ final match as national team manager ended in disappointment after a disastrous first-half performance saw his side trail 4-0.

The 31-year-old midfielder played the entirety of the high-scoring encounter and was visibly frustrated by the lack of professionalism.

‘Shameful’ first-half display

Speaking to BeIN Sports, Rabiot revealed his shock at the conduct of unnamed colleagues during the opening 45 minutes.

“We started the first half quite shamefully. I saw behavior from some players that I had never seen before.”

The combative playmaker admitted it was deeply disappointing given the opportunity to end the tournament on a positive note.

“There is a lot of disappointment after the match we lost against Spain, but there was work to be done until the end.”

A demanding half-time team talk

A spirited second-half fightback saw Les Bleus briefly reduce the deficit to 4-3 before ultimately succumbing to the English attack.

“We talked at half-time, we said we needed to show some pride, and it was much better in the second half.”

Despite the bitter conclusion to their campaign, Rabiot was quick to praise the outgoing coaching staff.

He insisted the result should not tarnish the legacy of the manager who restored the national team to the top of world football.

Deschamps shoulders the blame

Deschamps had rotated his starting lineup heavily following their semi-final exit against the Spanish.

Stars such as Kylian Mbappe retained their places, but several fringe players were handed an opportunity to impress from the start.

When questioned about the explosive interview, the outgoing boss refused to publicly single out individuals.

“It was me who made a mistake. I should have made choices from the start of the match.”

Manager defends his squad

The 57-year-old tactician instead took full responsibility for the initial tactical setup.

He firmly stated he would not judge the characters or personalities of his players in front of the media.

“Obviously in this match, there are some players who could have done better. I wish them all the best.”