France midfielder Adrien Rabiot says the 2022 losing finalists are targeting going beyond their second-place finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by USA, Mexico and Canada.
Les Bleus are placed in Group I, alongside Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal, Iraq and Norway. They will open their campaign against Senegal before facing Iraq and Norway in the closing match of the group.
Rabiot made his first FIFA World Cup appearance in Qatar, where he scored his first goal against Australia in their opening match in Al Wakrah.
He played all the matches leading up to the decider against Argentina that ended 3-3 after extra time, before Lionel Messi’s side triumphed 4-2 on penalties.
The AC Milan midfielder told FIFA.com that anything less than a semi-final berth at the upcoming World Cup would be considered failure.
“Going into the 2022 edition, people obviously saw us as one of the favourites. We’re a strong squad, and we need to be aware of our strengths without being arrogant or presumptuous. We need to have a clear idea of where we want to go,” he said.
“Obviously, the objective of the French national team, especially considering our last results in major competitions, and at the World Cup in particular, is to reach the semi-finals, as everyone expects us to. That’s our objective. We won’t hide it because if we underperform, it will obviously be seen as a failure.”
Rabiot says the current generation of the French squad has a squad that’s eager and determined to win.
“We have players with eagerness and determination and a desire to win. We truly have a very good mindset within the squad. If everyone remains firmly focused on the objective, with this mindset to give everything, I think we can put in a really nice run. At the 2026 World Cup, our legacy will be a third star,” said Rabiot.
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