It was supposed to be a celebratory evening in Paris. France battled past Iceland 2-1 at the Parc des Princes in a tense World Cup qualifier, with goals from Kylian Mbappe and Bradley Barcola overturning an early deficit. The victory kept Les Bleus on track for the 2026 World Cup, but the game will be remembered for reasons beyond the scoreline.
Among the late drama and the crowd’s restless energy, one of France’s most polarizing players, also a new teammate of Christian Pulisic at Milan and a close international colleague of Mbappe, became the target of hostility. Adrien Rabiot was greeted with boos when he entered the pitch, an unusual spectacle for a player wearing the French shirt.
Why would a national team player — on home soil — endure such a reception? The answer, deeply tied to his past and recent controversies, would only become clear as the story unfolded.
France coach Didier Deschamps was visibly furious at the crowd’s reaction. After the game, he spoke candidly to French television: “It is unacceptable. He is a French national team player wearing this shirt. His life at the club is not my concern, even though Adri is solid enough. He made them a bit uncomfortable on the last recovery play.
“There is no reason for this. If I have to base my decisions on who plays where, against which opponent, whether at the Parc or elsewhere, it is absurd. Even if it is a minority, no player should go through this. He is a French national team player. He is French, like all the others.” Those words revealed the extent of Deschamps’ frustration, as he condemned fans who, in his view, disrespected both Rabiot and the national team jersey.
The reason behind the boos
Rabiot’s troubled history with Paris Saint-Germain, combined with his shocking move to bitter rival Olympique Marseille, lies at the heart of the animosity. His 2019 departure from PSG was acrimonious, marked by contract disputes and public criticism, with his outspoken mother Veronique even accusing the club of mistreating her son.
That fractured relationship worsened when the midfielder joined Marseille on a free transfer, a move viewed as a betrayal by PSG fans who hold “Le Classique” — the rivalry between Paris and Marseille — as sacred. Returning to his old home ground, he was met with whistles, jeers, and insults that grew louder with every touch of the ball.
Deschamps, however, dismissed such logic. “No player should have to go through this — it’s the French national team, he’s French, like all the players. It must not happen, it’s unacceptable.”
