On November 22, 2025, Paul Pogba, the French midfielder known for his flair as well as his contributions to France’s win in the 2018 World Cup, made his debut for AS Monaco, after being absent from professional football for more than two years. Following an 18-month doping ban that was cut short from an original four-year ban, Pogba was initially unable to play before he sustained injuries. He played the last five minutes of the French Ligue 1 match against Rennes, which ended in a 4-1 loss – on as a substitute hurt in a big moment.
It had been 811 days since Pogba played in the debut of the Juventus game in September 2023. Many hope this will be the start of his comeback to be reestablished and play at the level he was once at again with a two-year deal at Monaco as a player and person.
Context: Career Interruptions and Return
Pogba, once the world’s most expensive footballer, was transferred from Juventus to Manchester United for €105 million ($116 million) in 2016, but his career was later interrupted by injuries, off-field issues, and, ultimately, his doping ban for a positive testosterone test while at Juventus. In October 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced his suspension to 18 months, permitting him to begin training earlier this year and, ultimately, to sign with Monaco to restart his career.
Sebastien Pocognoli, head coach of Monaco, expressed cautious confidence regarding Pogba’s return, claiming that while the player was well past his best years, his ability and experience could help, particularly as he regains match fitness and the rhythm of playing competitively.
Debut Performance and Reception
During his brief appearance on the field, Pogba displayed flashes of the player he used to be, accumulating 17 touches, successfully completing the majority of his 15 passes, winning back the ball twice, and making one interception. Although at that point, Monaco was down 4-0, and eventually lost 4-1, Pogba’s return pleased the fans, and he was given a standing ovation by around 12,000 people watching the game.
Pogba said it was a bittersweet moment, he was happy to be back on the pitch, but disheartened by the team’s position and performance. He acknowledged he has a lot of work to do to get back to full fitness and cautiously expressed hopes about remaining in contention for future matches with the national team, and instead put his energy into focusing on positively contributing to Monaco’s next matches in both Ligue 1 and Europe.
Roadmap and Challenges
Monaco has a challenging calendar, which includes Champions League games where Pogba wants to play for the first time in over three years. His specific training program, which was created with medical and coaching staff from the club, is designed to reduce the risk of injury while progressively improving his training volume and time on the field.
The club’s goals are somewhat based on Pogba being able to create consistency and experience for younger players. Analysts also point out that Pogba isn’t going back to his best version immediately; however, his experience and special talents may provide added strategic depth to the squad which attempts to balance young and old.