Rabiot condemns teammates after France's 6-4 World Cup loss

France midfielder Adrien Rabiot has publicly condemned what he called the "shameful" and "unacceptable" behavior of some teammates during the first half of the team's 6-4 loss to England in the World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday, July 18, 2026, in Miami. The defeat marked the end of Didier Deschamps' 14-year tenure as head coach.

Rabiot, one of the few regular starters in the lineup for the bronze medal match, expressed his frustration in post-match interviews. He described the team's initial performance as disgraceful after England surged to a 4-0 lead by halftime. "I saw behavior from some players that I've never seen before," Rabiot told BeIN Sports. "It's a bit disappointing, because it was the last match to do well in this competition." He acknowledged the team's disappointment following their semifinal loss to Spain but stressed there was still a job to finish.

According to Rabiot, a halftime discussion among the players led to a renewed effort. "We talked at halftime, we told ourselves we needed to show some pride, and it was much better in the second half," he said, adding that the first-half conduct was "unacceptable." France mounted a spirited comeback after the...