THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

France's Rabiot joins Vinicius in criticising New York pitch France midfielder Adrien Rabiot has also criticised the pitch at the New York/New Jersey stadium after beating Senegal 3-1 on Tuesday, echoing Brazil forward Vinicius Jr's frustration with the dryness of the surface. Kylian Mbappe scored a brace as France kicked off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign in style in East Rutherford. Rabiot, who registered an assist in France's Group I opener, said the stadium, which will host the World Cup final in July, felt less like a real pitch and more like an artificial surface. "The pitch... I don't even know if you can call it that. It felt more like an artificial surface — quite hard and quite rigid," Rabiot told reporters. Meanwhile, France manager Didier Deschamps termed the pitch a "special surface" when questioned about it in a press conference. "I think there's probably concrete underneath, it's very short fibres," Deschamps said. The pitch’s behaviour had changed from last year's FIFA Club World Cup, also played at the New York/New Jersey stadium, Deschamps added. "The bounce is a bit different," he said, adding that his side are adjusting to the conditions. Brazil's Vi…

France midfielder Rabiot joins Brazil's Vinicius in criticizing New York pitch EAST RUTHERFORD: France midfielder Adrien Rabiot raised concerns about the quality of the pitch at the New York stadium after their 3-1 win over Senegal on Tuesday, echoing Brazil forward Vinicius Jr's frustration with the dryness of the surface. Rabiot, who bagged an assist in France's Group I opener, said the ground set to host the World Cup final in July felt less like a real pitch and more like an artificial surface. "The pitch... I don't even know if you can call it that. It felt more like an artificial surface — quite hard and quite rigid," Rabiot told reporters. Meanwhile, France coach Didier Deschamps called the pitch a "special surface" when asked about it in a press conference. "I think there's probably concrete underneath, it's very short fibres," Deschamps said. The pitch felt different from last year's FIFA Club World Cup, also played at the New York stadium, Deschamps added. "The bounce is a bit different," he said, adding that his side are adjusting to the conditions. Brazil's Vinicius had also earlier voiced concerns about the dryness of the pitch after his side were held to a 1-1 …

France midfielder Rabiot joins Vinicius in criticising World Cup final pitch France midfielder Adrien Rabiot said the pitch "felt more like an artificial surface" after Les Bleus opened their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal on Tuesday at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will host the final game of the tournament on July 19.

France's Rabiot Joins Vinicius in Criticising New York Pitch After Draw ... French and Brazilian football stars have voiced concerns over the condition of the pitch during their recent matches at the World Cup. French midfielder Paul Pogba and Brazil's Vinicius Junior have joined forces to criticise the quality of the pitch used in a World Cup match between Brazil and Morocco. The debate was sparked by Vinicius, who expressed his dissatisfaction with the dryness of the surface after Brazil’s 1-1 draw against Morocco. Vinicius took to social media to voice his concerns, stating that the pitch conditions were subpar for optimal performance. His quickly gained traction among football fans and players alike, drawing attention to the issue faced by teams during the tournament. Paul Pogba, another key player for France, has now joined Vinicius in expressing similar sentiments. The French midfielder highlighted the impact of poor field conditions on both player safety and overall game performance. Pogba’s add weight to the criticism as he is one of the most experienced players in the current World Cup squad. The concerns over pitch quality are not limited to just these two players; s…

France midfielder Rabiot joins Vinicius in criticising… - inkl France midfielder Adrien Rabiot said the pitch "felt more like an artificial surface" after Les Bleus opened their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 victory over Senegal on Tuesday at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which will host the final game of the tournament on July 19. France's Adrien Rabiot raised concerns about the quality of ​the pitch at the New York/New Jersey stadium, also known as the MetLife Stadium, after their3-1 win over Senegalon Tuesday, echoing Brazil forward Vinicius Jr's frustration with ​the dryness ‌of the surface. Rabiot, who bagged an assist ⁠in France's Group I opener, said the ground set to host the World Cup final ‌in July felt less like a real pitch and ⁠more like an artificial surface. Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Mbappé becomes France's record scorer as Les Bleus down valiant Senegal "The pitch... I don't even know if you can call it that. It felt more ​like an artificial surface – quite hard and quite ‌rigid," Rabiot told reporters. Meanwhile, France coachDidier Deschampscalled the pitch a "special surface" when asked about it in a press conference. "I think there's ‌probably concrete…

France midfielder Rabiot joins Brazil's Vinicius in criticising New ... France midfielder Rabiot joins Brazil’s Vinicius in criticising New York pitch Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox France coach Didier Deschamps leaving the pitch at half-time during the match against Senegal at the New York/New Jersey Stadium on June 16. He called the pitch a "special surface". PHOTO: AFP Published Jun 17, 2026, 07:29 AM Updated Jun 17, 2026, 08:22 AM Set as preferred source Listen EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey - France midfielder Adrien Rabiot raised concerns about the quality of the pitch at the New York/New Jersey stadium after their 3-1 win over Senegal on June 16, echoing Brazil forward Vinicius Jr’s frustration with the dryness of the surface. Rabiot, who bagged an assist in France’s Group I opener, said the ground set to host the World Cup final in July felt less like a real pitch and more like an artificial surface. “The pitch... I don’t even know if you can call it that. It felt more like an artificial surface - quite hard and quite rigid,” Rabiot told reporters. Meanwhile, France coach Didier Deschamps called the pitch a “special surface” when asked about it in a pr…

France midfielder Rabiot joins Vinicius in criticising World Cup final ... France midfielder Rabiot joins Vinicius in criticising World Cup final pitch By FRANCE 24 - RFI World Cup WED, 17 JUN 2026 Adrien Rabiot in action during France's World Cup opener against Senegal. - © Adam Hunger, AP France 's Adrien Rabiot raised concerns about the quality of ​the pitch at the New York/New Jersey stadium, also known as the MetLife Stadium, after their 3-1 win over Senegal on Tuesday, echoing Brazil forward Vinicius Jr's frustration with ​the dryness ‌of the surface. Rabiot, who bagged an assist ⁠in France's Group I opener, said the ground set to host the World Cup final ‌in July felt less like a real pitch and ⁠more like an artificial surface. Read more World Cup 2026: Mbappé becomes France's record scorer as Les Bleus down valiant Senegal "The pitch... I don't even know if you can call it that. It felt more ​like an artificial surface – quite hard and quite ‌rigid," Rabiot told reporters. Meanwhile, France coach Didier Deschamps called the pitch a "special surface" when asked about it in a press conference. "I think there's ‌probably concrete underneath, it's very short fibres," Deschamps…

France midfielder Rabiot joins Brazil's Vinicius in criticizing New York pitch France midfielder Rabiot joins Brazil’s Vinicius in criticising New York pitch Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox France coach Didier Deschamps leaving the pitch at half-time during the match against Senegal at the New York/New Jersey Stadium on June 16. He called the pitch a "special surface". PHOTO: AFP Published Jun 17, 2026, 07:29 AM Updated Jun 17, 2026, 08:22 AM Listen EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey - France midfielder Adrien Rabiot raised concerns about the quality of the pitch at the New York/New Jersey stadium after their 3-1 win over Senegal on June 16, echoing Brazil forward Vinicius Jr’s frustration with the dryness of the surface. Rabiot, who bagged an assist in France’s Group I opener, said the ground set to host the World Cup final in July felt less like a real pitch and more like an artificial surface. “The pitch... I don’t even know if you can call it that. It felt more like an artificial surface - quite hard and quite rigid,” Rabiot told reporters. Meanwhile, France coach Didier Deschamps called the pitch a “special surface” when asked about it in a press conference. “…