New Jersey, June 17 -- 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...