Adrien Rabiot is the sort of all-action midfielder every manager dreams of having. Unassuming, reliable, hard-working, intelligent and powerful, he has become one of most dependable performers throughout the .
The former Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus player has featured in five of Les Bleus’ six matches since the start of the tournament in North America, with Didier Deschamps opting to rest him for the nation’s final group-stage match against Norway, which they went on to win 4-1.
When he has been on the pitch, France have won all five matches, scoring 12 goals and conceding just one. Whether paired with Aurelien Tchouameni (as he was against Senegal and Sweden) or with Manu Kone (against Iraq, Paraguay and Morocco), Rabiot remains true to what he does best: defending diligently, covering ground, trying to find the forwards between the lines and helping to lead the press. In fact, he ranks second among French players for direct pressures at the tournament, with 22, behind Dayot Upamecano on 26.
According to FIFA’s official statistics, he is also among the French players who offer the most passing options to team-mates in possession, alongside Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Jules Kounde – further evidence of his relentless movement. Rabiot also ranks among the top three French players for high-speed runs at the tournament, registering 629, behind only Olise (788) and Kounde (682).
Now, the Saint-Maurice native is set to play in his second consecutive semi-final in a major tournament, after featuring as France were beaten 2-1 by Spain at UEFA EURO 2024. Rabiot missed his team’s 2-0 semi-final victory over Morocco at Qatar 2022™ due to illness, but he is now in fine physical and mental shape for this long-awaited rematch with La Roja.
“After the run we’ve just had, virtually everything is looking good,” the 31-year-old told FIFA. “It’s very positive. The team spirit is brilliant. We’re in excellent shape going into this semi-final. I don’t know if we could have asked for much more. We’re on top form.”
“On paper, it looks set to be a cracking match,” he said. “Spain are also looking good, having played well and conceded very few goals [just one]. It’ll be a great contest, even though we also know that in high-stakes matches at this stage of the competition, there may be less spectacle than we’d expect.”
To get the better of Luis de la Fuente’s La Roja in a match where the prospect of a place in the FIFA World Cup final could make for a cagey affair, Les Bleus will once again look to Rabiot, whose resilience and winning mentality have been key to their run to the semi-finals.
“The ability to adapt is an important quality, one of the best you can have, whether in football or in life,” said the AC Milan stalwart. “Being able to adapt to any situation and respond to it is what makes us strong, and that’s what we see on the pitch with this team. For example, Kylian Mbappe’s missed penalty against Morocco didn’t throw us off our stride. That’s a real strength.”
In addition to their immense talent across the pitch, Les Bleus owe their third successive World Cup semi-final appearance to their strength of character. As for Rabiot, just as he was in Qatar four years ago, he is now an undisputed starter and looking forward to reconnecting with the France fans “on 19 July, with what we know is at stake, perhaps against England”. Or against Argentina, in what would be one of the most eagerly anticipated sporting rematches in recent history.
Before that, however, they must find a way past Spain. Facing the 2010 world champions will be a mammoth challenge. But Rabiot and co. have repeatedly shown their resilience and will back themselves to rise to the occasion once more.
Sources: FIFA Official
