Adrien Rabiot has criticized the pitch at MetLife Stadium, the site of the FIFA World Cup final, bemoaning an issue that has been felt all too often by the stars of the NFL
11:12 ET, 19 Jun 2026
Adrien Rabiot of France drives the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match between France and Senegal at New York New Jersey Stadium on June 16, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
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Adrien Rabiot is not impressed by the pitch at MetLife Stadium(Image: Getty Images)
Adrien Rabiot has criticized the field at MetLife Stadium, with the French midfielder admitting he was not sure if he could even call it 'a pitch'.
The 2026 World Cup is now well underway, with Thursday's action seeing Jesse Marsch's Canada defeat Qatar 6-0 in impressive fashion. However, the game, which was attended by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, was marred by a horrifying injury to Canada's Ismael Kone, who was carried off on a stretcher following a tackle by Assim Madibo.
Meanwhile, during France's opening game of the tournament, they survived a poor first-half performance to dispatch Senegal 3-1 at MetLife Stadium, with Kylian Mbappe scoring a brace to get Didier Deschamps' side off to a perfect start. However, Rabiot, who played all 90 minutes against Senegal, was left annoyed at the playing surface France were forced to play on in New Jersey.
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"The pitch, I don’t even know if you can call it that," said Rabiot of the MetLife Stadium pitch. "It felt more like an artificial surface—quite hard and quite rigid."
Due to FIFA requirements, the stadium, home to the New York Giants and New York Jets, had to install a temporary grass field, something NFL players have been calling for. "Annoying," said Giants lineman Jermaine Eluemunor when asked about the soccer stars getting to play on grass over turf. "It's nice playing on grass," he added.
Rabiot is not the only player to have criticized the pitch at MetLife Stadium. "In the second half, with the heat, the pitch dries out very quickly," said Vinicius Junior following Brazil's 1-1 draw with Morocco. "The game becomes very sluggish and we can't get into our rhythm."
A general view shows the New York New Jersey Stadium (temporarily renamed from Metlife Stadium) ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on May 29, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey
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The MetLife Stadium will host the World Cup final(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
And the surface at MetLife has also been blasted by France head coach Didier Deschamps.
"It's different," Deschamps said of the pitch when asked about it following France's opening game win. "You have to get used to it. The fact there's a concrete slab underneath means the grass fibers are very short. The bounce is different and the turf changes depending on how much it's watered."
He continued: "Some players had already played the Club World Cup here. If there isn't a good thickness of soil, it's different. The players weren't going to put in screw-in studs because there isn't much depth. Since we don't train on it, it's complicated. I warned them, but it's different from what they're used to."
Following the criticism levied at MetLife Stadium, and FIFA by association, the organization has released a statement claiming to have invested "more than five years" of research to ensure the playing surfaces at the tournament are the best they can be.
Vinicius Junior of Brazil celebrates with Bruno Guimaraes
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Vincius Junior was also annoyed by the condition of MetLife's playing surface(Image: Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
"The pitches at all 16 FIFA World Cup 2026™ stadiums remain in excellent condition from both a playability and player safety perspective," a statement read.
"While there have been comments regarding the visual appearance of certain areas of the playing surface at NYNJ Stadium, FIFA's Turf Management Team's assessment is that every pitch is healthy and performing as intended for elite competition.
"Variations in the appearance of some surfaces, whether on television or in person, do not necessarily reflect the quality, health or playability of the pitch.
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"FIFA's pitch management teams undertake extensive testing and monitoring before every match, including assessments of moisture levels, firmness and overall playing conditions."