The former Juventus and France star midfielder returned to football and suited up for Monaco in his first game in more than two years after the drugs ban.
Published on November 23, 2025
Paul Pogba described his emotional debut in Monaco as a moment of relief and gratitude on Saturday, after the French midfielder returned to the field for the first time in more than two years following a doping suspension.
The former Juventus and Manchester United player, who joined the Ligue 1 team on a free transfer in June, had not played a competitive match since September 2023.
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Pogba received a four-year ban in February 2024 after testing positive for the banned substance DHEA, which increases testosterone levels. The suspension was reduced to 18 months following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The 32-year-old, who was set to return last month before suffering a right ankle injury, came on in the 85th minute of Monaco’s 4-1 defeat to Rennes at Roazhon Park and was greeted with a standing ovation.
“Seeing the crowd stand up and applaud, I never imagined that would happen,” Pogba told reporters. “I feel relieved to be playing football again, the thing I love most in the world.
“But there is still work to do to get back to full fitness and be able to play 90 minutes… If I don’t perform well in Monaco, I can forget about the French team.
“I believe in myself and my qualities, and because I knew that I had done nothing wrong and that it was not my fault, I never lost hope.”
Pogba, who has made 91 appearances for France, played a leading role in his country’s victory at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Knee and hamstring injuries, as well as knee surgery, prevented him from playing for France at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
