France’s Adrien Rabiot Says Humility and Team Role Are Key to Success

France are heading into the summer with a noticeably more attack-minded profile, as Didier Deschamps prepares for his final tournament as national team manager. Adrien Rabiot says the squad now looks “a bit more attacking than usual,” and he believes the quality available in front of him gives France a genuine edge. The team’s forward options are headlined by captain Kylian Mbappé, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki, with additional attacking depth from Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Maghnes Akliouche, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marcus Thuram. Deschamps’ stated goal is to make France “less predictable” and “less readable,” but the expanded offensive talent also raises questions about balance.

That concern is shared by Rabiot and, indirectly, by Arsène Wenger, who has warned that France could become overly weighted toward attack. Rabiot says his own role will be to help maintain structure, even if that means doing less of the spotlight work. At club level with Milan, he often plays as a box-to-box midfielder, but with France he sees himself as more of a link between defense and attack. He describes the role as one of “accompanying” the forwards, giving them freedom while ensuring the team remains organized.

Rabiot stresses that modern football demands collective effort. He argues that it is no longer enough for only defenders and midfielders to work without the ball, and points to recent Champions League examples as proof that teams who defend and attack together go furthest. In his view, success now depends on a squad that can do both phases well, not just one. He believes France’s current group understands that requirement.

The midfielder also highlights the importance of unity and atmosphere within the squad. He says training in the team camp has been marked by freshness, technique and enthusiasm, and that players are encouraged to express their talent freely. For Rabiot, that sense of enjoyment matters over the course of a long tournament. France’s base in Boston is expected to be more than a short stop, as the team targets another deep run after reaching the last two World Cup finals.

Rabiot, now 31, missed France’s 2018 triumph but was part of the squad that lost the 2022 final to Argentina. He says the team wants revenge and sees a World Cup victory in North America as a fitting tribute to Deschamps, who will step down after the tournament. Despite a difficult moment earlier in his career, including being left out of the 2018 squad, Rabiot has become one of Deschamps’ most trusted players. Since returning to the national setup in 2020, only Mbappé and N’Golo Kanté have played more under the coach among the current squad.

Rabiot says the team owes Deschamps for his faith and results, and he believes the wider public in France does not always fully appreciate what the national team has achieved under his leadership. For him, the Deschamps era has been defined by substance over style, and he sees that as a strength rather than a limitation.