more than two years after his last game, Paul Pogba is back on the pitch

The French international, who arrived in the Principality this summer, took to the pitch for the first time in 26 months on Saturday as Monaco lost against Rennes (4-1).

Finally a big comeback. After waiting for 811 days, Paul Pogba returned to competition on Saturday, November 22, when AS Monaco lost against Rennes (1-4) in Ligue 1. Even though the result of the match had already been determined, the 32-year-old midfielder came on in the 85th minute and received a standing ovation from Rennes supporters at Roazhon Park. He stood out with several passes on target (14 of 15 attempts), including a fine game reversal, and became the first player in history to make his debut in the French championship after making more than 50 selections for the French team.

The 2018 world champion’s last match took place on September 3 2023, in Juventus uniform against Empoli in the Italian League. He was later suspended due to a positive testosterone doping test. His sentence was reduced from four years to eighteen months. If Paul Pogba can return in March, he will have to find a club first. But since his arrival at AS Monaco this summer, physical problems have several times delayed his first steps in Ligue 1.

“It’s the return of Paul Pogba, but I don’t like losing. On the one hand, I’m very happy, on the other hand I’m disappointed with what we did on the pitch (…). The feeling is good. I want to give good energy”the reaction of the person concerned in the mixed zone, thanking the Rennes public for their applause. The return is a sign of hope for the France international (91 caps) whose career has been on the decline since 2022, a year marked by his departure from Manchester United, quarantine and missing the World Cup due to another injury.