Rabiot slams MetLife Stadium pitch after France's win over Senegal

France began its 2026 World Cup campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Senegal on Tuesday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, on the outskirts of New York. Driven by Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise, the Blues overcame a sluggish first half to secure the win and claim second place in Group I.

But after the match, Adrien Rabiot took the opportunity to flag a problem that affected the players: the state of the pitch. “The grass… I don’t even know if you can call it that. It looks more like a pretty hard, pretty rigid synthetic surface,” he said in the mixed zone. This criticism carries particular weight: MetLife Stadium is the designated venue to host the competition final on July 19.

Rabiot nonetheless tempered his remarks, refusing to use it as an excuse. “It’s the same for all teams. You have to adapt,” he acknowledged. The midfielder also mentioned the weather conditions, judging the evening weather more favorable than recent training sessions in intense heat: “It was more breathable, so physically better.”

Thanks to this victory, the Blues climb to second place in Group I, behind Norway, which won convincingly over Iraq 4-1 on the same evening. France will face Iraq in its second match next Monday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, with the hope, according to Rabiot, of playing on “a better pitch.”