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France midfielder Adrien Rabiot raised concerns over the quality of the playing surface at the New York/New Jersey stadium following his side's convincing 3-1 win over Senegal in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener on Tuesday (local time).
According to Reuters, Rabiot, who also provided an assist in France's Group I victory, said the surface felt unusually hard and artificial in nature at the venue, which is set to host the World Cup final in July. "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, as quoted by Reuters. France coach Didier Deschamps also commented on the conditions, describing it as a special surface during his post-match press conference. "I think there's probably concrete underneath, it's very short fibres," Deschamps said, as per Reuters. France began their Group I campaign with a dominant display, with Mbappe leading the charge as Les Bleus overcame a competitive Senegal side in New Jersey. The victory gave the 2018 world champions a positive start to their World Cup journey as they look to maintain form in the group stage. After scoring a brilliant brace, the French striker surpassed Lionel Messi in the all-time World Cup scoring charts. The result also confirmed Mbappe as France's all-time leading goalscorer, as the Real Madrid forward delivered once again in a tournament where Les Bleus are considered strong contenders following their 2018 triumph and 2022 final appearance. Senegal matched France in a tightly contested first half, but the breakthrough came just after the hour mark when Michael Olise played a precise pass into Mbappe, who calmly finished to open the scoring. Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola doubled the lead in the 79th minute, delicately lifting the ball over Edouard Mendy after coming off the bench, before Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back for Senegal to reduce the deficit. However, Mbappe produced the standout moment deep into stoppage time, dribbling forward and unleashing a stunning 30-yard strike into the top corner, sealing France's victory in style. Ibrahim Mbaye scored the only goal for Senegal. Mbappe's brace took him to 14 World Cup goals, moving him level with Germany's Gerd Muller and into third place in the all-time World Cup scoring list behind Miroslav Klose (16) and Brazil legend Ronaldo (15). The French skipper began the match tied with football legend Pele on 12 World Cup goals, but his stunning performance lifted him above them into third place outright. Mbappe's two goals also took his international tally to 58, making him France's highest-ever scorer, surpassing Olivier Giroud, who scored 57 goals. The French star has now scored in three consecutive World Cups and remains one of the standout performers in the ongoing tournament. He became only the second player, after England's Geoff Hurst in 1966, to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final during the 3-3 draw against Argentina in Qatar four years ago. (ANI)
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