Pogba's performances at Juventus led to him returning to Manchester United in 2016 for a then-world record transfer fee of €105 million (£89.3 million).[4] The fee was thehighest for an English club until 2021.[5] In his first season back, he won theLeague Cup and theEuropa League.[6] In the2018–19 season, he was named in thePFA Team of the Year. He rejoined Juventus in 2022, and was released by the club in 2024 after beginning an 18-month doping ban that was lifted in March 2025.[7] In June 2025 he signed forMonaco.[8]
Pogba began his football career at the age of six playing for US Roissy-en-Brie, a few miles south of his hometown. He spent seven seasons at the club before joiningUS Torcy, where he served as captain of the club's under-13 team.[13]
After one season with Torcy, Pogba joined professional clubLe Havre. In his second season at the club, Pogba captained its under-16 team to the final phase of its domestic league, theChampionnat National des 16 ans. Le Havre finished second toLens in the final group phase, finishing ahead of the likes ofLyon andNancy.[14] Pogba also established himself as a youth international for his country.
On 31 July 2009, Pogba announced that he was departing Le Havre to join theyouth academy ofManchester United in England. The move surprised his parent club, as it allegedly had a "non-solicitation agreement" with Pogba, which was agreed to by not only the player but also his parents in 2006. The agreement, which was in place until the end of the2009–10 season, allowed Le Havre to sign Pogba to anaspirant (youth) contract once the player met specific age and scholarship requirements.[15] On 1 August, Le Havre released an official statement on its website criticising Manchester United and the Pogba family.[16] Le Havre also announced its intent to askFIFA to probe the situation.[17]
In response to Le Havre's accusations, Manchester United threatened to sue the club, while Pogba denied he was leaving Le Havre for monetary reasons, which Le Havre President Jean-Pierre Louvel had alleged to be £87,000 and a house.[18][19] Le Havre was also accused by Pogba's former club Torcy of using the same tactics it purported Manchester United to have used when the club acquired Pogba from its youth academy. On the same day of Pogba's announcement to depart for England, Torcy released a press release on its official website criticising Le Havre's accusations, stating, "We will not use the term 'steal,' but the recruiters of Le Havre acted the same way with the club in Torcy." The club cited Le Havre's acceptance of allowing Pogba to sign an amateur licence with the club without notifying Torcy as its primary reason why.[13][20] On 7 October, Manchester United were cleared of wrongdoing by a judge appointed by FIFA, with the declaration that Pogba was not contractually linked to Le Havre.[21] Despite having the option to appeal, on 18 June 2010, Le Havre officials confirmed that the club had reached an agreement with Manchester United for the transfer of Pogba. The terms of the agreement were confidential.[22][23]
Academy and call-up to first team
Pogba completed his transfer to Manchester United on 7 October 2009[24] and made his debut with the club's under-18 team on 10 October againstCrewe Alexandra in a 2–1 defeat.[25] He finished the2009–10 under-18 campaign with seven goals in 21 appearances.[26] The team finished first in their group, but lost toArsenal 5–3 onpenalties in the play-off semi-finals.[27] In April 2010, Pogba was a part of the under-18 team that successfully defended their title at the Torneo Calcio Memorial Claudio Sassi-Sassuolo inBologna, Italy.[28] In the2010–11 season, Pogba remained on the club's academy team in thePremier Academy League and played with the team during the first three months of the season. In November 2010, he was called up to the club'sreserve team and made his debut on 2 November 2010 in a 3–1 win overBolton Wanderers.[29] On 10 January 2011, in theFA Youth Cup, Pogba scored a long-range goal, described as a "piledriver," in the team's 3–2 victory overPortsmouth. The win allowed the team to progress to the fourth round of the competition.[30] A month later, Pogba scored a similar goal in a 3–2 defeat toWest Bromwich Albion in the Academy League.[31]
On 19 February 2011, Pogba was one of four academy players promoted to the first-team squad by managerAlex Ferguson ahead of Manchester United'sFA Cup fifth round match againstCrawley Town, for which he was assigned the number 42 shirt.[32] He continued in the under-18s for the rest of the season, helping the team to a lengthy run in the FA Youth Cup; in the semi-final encounter againstChelsea in the competition, Pogba scored a goal in the first leg, a 3–2 defeat,[33] and provided the assist for the opening goal of the second leg, a 4–0 win.[34] In the final, Manchester United defeatedSheffield United 6–3 on aggregate to win their tenth Youth Cup title; Pogba started and played the entire match in both legs.[35][36]
2011–12 season
Ahead of the start of the2011–12 season, Ferguson confirmed that Pogba would feature with the senior team during the season, stating, "I mean if we hold Pogba back, what's going to happen? He's going to leave. You know, in a couple of years' time when his contract is going to finish. So we have to give him the opportunity to see how he can do in the first-team and he's got great ability."[37] Pogba was promoted to the club's reserve team permanently for the 2011–12 season and made his first appearance of the season on 15 August 2011 in the team's openingPremier Reserve League match againstArsenal.[38] On 25 August, in the team's second league match againstSwansea City reserves, Pogba scored the second goal in a 6–0 rout.[39] On 19 September, he was named to the first team to participate in theirFootball League Cup tie againstLeeds United the following day, with Ferguson proclaiming, "I intend to play him (Pogba) against Leeds United."[40] Pogba appeared as a half-time substitute to make his professional debut as Manchester United won the match 3–0.[41] Pogba made his second appearance againstAldershot Town in the Fourth Round of the League Cup on 25 October 2011.[42]
Pogba made hisPremier League debut againstStoke City on 31 January 2012, replacingJavier Hernández in the 72nd minute.[43] He made another substitute appearance againstWest Bromwich Albion on 11 March.[44] Four days later, he made his European debut in the second leg of the team'sUEFA Europa League round of 16 tie against Spanish clubAthletic Bilbao; he appeared as a substitute in the 2–1 away defeat, coming on forMichael Carrick in the 63rd minute as Manchester United lost the tie 5–3 on aggregate.[45]
On 3 July 2012, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson confirmed that Pogba had left the club after not signing a new contract.[46] Ferguson stated that Pogba had signed forSerie A clubJuventus "a long time ago as far as we're aware." Ferguson also accused Pogba of disrespecting Manchester United, saying, "It is disappointing. I don't think he showed us any respect at all, to be honest. I'm quite happy that if they [footballers] carry on that way, they're probably better doing it away from us."[47] On 27 July, Juventus confirmed on their official website that Pogba had undergone a medical at the club,[48] and the transfer was completed on 3 August, when he signed a four-year contract.[49] He made his first appearance for Juventus in a pre-season friendly againstBenfica inGeneva on 1 August, coming on as a 78th-minute substitute forAndrea Pirlo.[50]
Pogba's first competitive appearance with Juventus came in theSerie A match againstChievo on 22 September 2012, where he played the full 90 minutes.[51] On 2 October, Pogba made his first appearance in theUEFA Champions League in a 1–1 home draw againstShakhtar Donetsk,[52] and on 20 October, Pogba scored his first goal for the club in a 2–0 win overNapoli.[53] On 31 October, he started againstBologna and scored the game-winning goal in a 2–1 victory. Pogba also contributed to the opening goal scored byFabio Quagliarella.[54] The midfielder was subsequently praised for his performance in the match by several Italian media outlets such asla Repubblica,Il Messaggero andLa Gazzetta dello Sport.[55]
On 5 May 2013, Pogba was sent off in Juventus'Scudetto-clinching game for spitting towards an opponent after being slapped in the face.[56]
On 18 August 2013, Pogba was a key protagonist of Juventus' 4–0 win overLazio, the match that won Juventus the2013 Italian Supercoppa. During the match, Pogba replacedClaudio Marchisio and scored the first goal of the game; he was elected Man of the Match.[57] In December, Pogba was named 2013'sGolden Boy for the best young player in Europe.[58]
In January 2014, Pogba was named byThe Guardian as one of the ten most promising young players in Europe.[59] On 20 February, Pogba scored his first goal inUEFA club competitions as Juventus defeatedTrabzonspor 2–0 at home in the first leg of the round of 32 of the2013–14 UEFA Europa League.[60] On 14 April, Pogba produced an assist in Juventus's 2–0 win overUdinese, the same team that Pogba scored two magnificent goals against in the previous season. Later that week, Pogba scored the only goal in Juventus's 1–0 win over Bologna. Pogba was also named the man of the match for his performance.[61] Pogba would prove to be a key player for the club that season, breaking into the starting line-up,[62] and making more appearances (51) for the club than any other player across all competitions that season, also scoring 9 goals.[63] He finished the season with his second consecutiveSerie A title under managerAntonio Conte, also reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League.[64]
On 20 September 2014, under new Juventus managerMassimiliano Allegri, Pogba contributed to Juventus's away win againstMilan by providing the assist for the only goal of the game, scored byCarlos Tevez.[65] Later that month, on 18 October, Pogba saved Juventus from a defeat againstSassuolo by scoring a decisive equaliser; he was later named Man of the Match.[66] On 24 October, Pogba renewed his contract with Juventus, tying him to the club until 2019.[67] On 4 November, on his 100th appearance with the club, Pogba scored Juventus's third goal againstOlympiacos in theChampions League, helping them to win the match; this was his first ever Champions League goal.[61] On 22 November, he scored his first brace of the season in a 3–0 win against Lazio at theStadio Olimpico in Rome.[68] On 28 October, Pogba was named as one of the 23 shortlisted candidates for the2014 Ballon d'Or; at 21, he was the youngest on the list.[69] In 2014, Pogba was awarded theBravo Award, by the Italian sports magazineIl Guerin Sportivo, which is awarded to the best under-23 player who has participated in European competitions.[70]
On 11 January 2015, Pogba helped Juventus secure their first win against Napoli at theStadio San Paolo in 14 years as he scored a volley that helped Juventus beat Napoli 1–3.[71] On 15 January, he scored his first goal in theCoppa Italia as Juventus defeated Verona 6–1 in the round of 16 of the tournament.[72] On 9 March, Pogba scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory against Sassuolo to put Juventus 11 points clear ofRoma at the top of the league table.[73] In the second leg of Juventus's round of 16 tie againstBorussia Dortmund, Pogba was taken off during the first half after injuring his hamstring and was later ruled out for two months.[74] He returned to the starting line-up on 9 May, scoring in a 1–1 home draw againstCagliari, as Juventus celebrated winning their fourth consecutiveSerie A title since 2012.[75] On 13 May, Pogba set upÁlvaro Morata's equaliser againstReal Madrid in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final; the goal allowed Juventus win the tie 3–2 on aggregate to advance to theChampions League Final for the first time in 12 years.[76] On 20 May, Pogba set up Juventus's first goal as they defeated Lazio 2–1 at theStadio Olimpico in the2015 Coppa Italia Final.[77] On 6 June 2015, Pogba started for Juventus in the2015 UEFA Champions League Final as the club were defeated 3–1 byBarcelona atBerlin'sOlympiastadion.[78]
2015–16 season
On 15 July 2015, Pogba was named to the ten-man shortlist for the 2015UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.[79] For the2015–16 season, he was awarded the prestigiousnumber-10 shirt, following Carlos Tevez's departure, which had previously been worn byAlessandro Del Piero,Roberto Baggio andMichel Platini.[80] On 8 August, he assisted a goal in Juventus's 2–0 win over Lazio in the2015 Supercoppa Italiana.[81] On 12 August, it was announced that he placed tenth in the2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.[82] On 31 October, Pogba made his 100th Serie A appearance in a 2–1 home win overTorino in theTurin Derby,[83] also scoring Juventus's opening goal from a half-volley from outside the area.[84] On 24 November, Pogba was nominated for the2015 UEFA Team of the Year,[85] later being named to the team on 8 January 2016.[86] Three days later he was named to the2015 FIFA FIFPro World XI.[87] Pogba excelled in his team's new creative position, which saw him gain more time on the ball, and played a key role in helping Juventus to the league title,[88] scoring a joint personal best of 8 goals in Serie A, while also finishing the league season as the top assist provider in Serie A, with a personal record of 12 assists, alongsideMiralem Pjanić.[89][90]
On 8 August 2016, Pogba returned to former club, Manchester United, on a five-year contract for athen-record for highest football transfer fee at €105 million (£89.3 million) plus bonuses of €5 million, surpassing the former record holderGareth Bale.[91] Pogba's agent,Mino Raiola, received a reported €27 million from Juventus when he re-joined Manchester United;[92] Juventus disclosed the fee as an auxiliary expense, for €26.154 million.[93]The Football Association announced that Pogba would be suspended for Manchester United's opening Premier League fixture of the2016–17 season againstAFC Bournemouth, due to two yellow cards he had accumulated in the previous season's edition of the Coppa Italia with Juventus.[94] On 19 August, he made his first appearance since returning to the club in a 2–0 home victory overSouthampton in the Premier League.[95]
After the 2–1 defeat at home in the firstManchester derby of the season on 10 September, Pogba was criticised for his lack of discipline in positioning by punditJamie Carragher.[96] Pogba soon recovered to form and scored his firstPremier League goal for United with a header against defending championsLeicester City in a 4–1 home win on 24 September.[97] He then scored twice, once from the penalty spot and then with a strike from distance, in aEuropa League tie againstFenerbahçe on 20 October.[98] ManagerJosé Mourinho defended Pogba after the game, criticising football's "Einsteins" for being too quick to judge the player.[99]
In January 2017, Pogba scored in a 2–1 away defeat toHull City in the second leg of theEFL Cup semi-final, which allowed Manchester United to advance to the final 3–2 on aggregate.[100] On 24 May 2017, Pogba scored in the 18th minute of theEuropa Leaguefinal against Dutch clubAFC Ajax, which proved to be the game-winning goal as Manchester United defeated Ajax 2–0 to win United's first continental trophy in nine years.[101] Manchester United finished the 2016–17 Premier League season in sixth place, with Pogba being involved in 30 games, scoring five goals and providing four assists.[102]
2017–18 season
Pogba scored the fourth goal in a 4–0 victory overWest Ham United on the opening weekend of the2017–18 Premier League season.[103] During a 3–0 defeat ofBasel during the2017–18 UEFA Champions League group stage, Pogba tore his left hamstring and was expected to miss eight matches.[104] He returned to action on 18 November in a 4–1 win overNewcastle United, assistingAnthony Martial with a cross from the flank and scored United's third goal.[105] In his first game of 2018, on 1 January, Pogba provided assists for both goals as Manchester United defeatedEverton 2–0.[106] Throughout the next few months, Pogba was again the subject of criticism regarding a lack of discipline and for not fulfilling his defensive duties.[107] He was absent from several pivotal games in favour ofScott McTominay, including Manchester United's 2–1 victory over rivalsLiverpool and was only used as a late substitution as his side were eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16 bySevilla in March.[108]
The day before theManchester derby,Manchester City managerPep Guardiola claimed that Pogba's agent, Mino Raiola, had offered Pogba to play for his side, which Raiola denied.[109] In the derby atEtihad Stadium on 7 April, Pogba scored two goals in quick succession as Manchester United came back to defeat their rivals 3–2 after conceding two goals in the first half. The victory also prevented Manchester City from securing the Premier League title against them, which they later did as Manchester United finished the season as runners-up.[110] In the2018 FA Cup Final against Chelsea, his side were defeated 1–0, with Pogba squandering a chance to equalise with a header in the penalty box.[111]
2018–19 season
Due to the absence of team captainAntonio Valencia, Pogba took over temporary captaincy of the club in the opening games of the2018–19 season. Pogba began the season well in the first few weeks, scoring four goals as the new designated penalty taker. Following a series of disappointing results, Mourinho announced that Pogba would not captain the team again.[112] In late September, Pogba and Mourinho were filmed having a confrontation during a training session, despite Mourinho's assertion that there was "no problem" between the two.[113] Despite this, Pogba continued to play in the starting eleven and scored in United's 2–1 victory overEverton.[114] Following a spell of poor form and strained relationship with Mourinho, Pogba found himself benched and linked with an exit from Manchester United during the January transfer season.[115] Continuing tensions between Pogba and Mourinho saw him branded a "virus" who influenced United's bad form by the manager.[116] Pogba continued to be benched throughout the next few games up to and including the match against Liverpool, which Manchester United lost 3–1.[117] Shortly after this match Mourinho was sacked as Manchester United manager,[118] andOle Gunnar Solskjær was appointed as the caretaker manager one day later.[119]
Under new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Pogba saw a revival in his form as he scored twice consecutively againstHuddersfield Town[120] and Bournemouth.[121] In January 2019, Pogba assistedMarcus Rashford's game-winning goal againstTottenham Hotspur,[122] with consecutive goals in the following matches againstBrighton & Hove Albion[123] andBurnley.[124] Pogba then scored a brace in a 3–0 away win overFulham and was named man of the match;[125][126] his two goals brought his seasonal tally to a personal best of 11 league goals and 13 in all competitions.[127] Pogba continued this trend by scoring again in United'sFA Cup fifth round tie againstChelsea where United won 2–0[128] and got an assist in a 3–1 win againstCrystal Palace.[129] Pogba's form dipped towards the end of the season as Manchester United only won 2 of their last 12 games of the season as they were knocked out of the FA cup byWolverhampton Wanderers.[130] Pogba was also criticised for his performance in the Champions League quarter final as Manchester United lost to Barcelona 4–0 on aggregate.[131] In that poor run of games, Pogba did manage to score a brace in a 2–1 home win againstWest Ham. On the final day of the Premier League season, Pogba started for Manchester United as they lost toCardiff City 2–0 atOld Trafford and after the game, Pogba was seen talking to some fans who were throwing him abuse.[132] Despite the poor end to the season, Pogba had the most productive season of his career as he scored 16 goals and got 11 assists in all competition and was named in the PFA team of the year, despite his inconsistent form.[133]
2019–20 season
Pogba playing for Manchester United in 2019
During the summer of 2019, Pogba hinted that his time at the club was coming to an end as he said "it could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else" with Real Madrid and Juventus being linked to the player.[134] Despite the speculation of Pogba leaving, he participated in United's preseason.[135] Towards the end of July, Manchester United rejected a £27.6 million plusJames Rodríguez offer from Real Madrid for Paul Pogba as they felt the offer fell way below their evaluation of the player.[136]
Pogba started for Manchester United in their opening game in the Premier League on 11 August 2019, providing two assists in the club's 4–0 home win over Chelsea.[137] In a post-game interview, Pogba said even though he was a Manchester United player, a "question mark" remained over his future.[138] Pogba sufferedracist abuse on social media after missing a penalty during a 1–1 away draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers the following game.[139]
On 31 August, Pogba suffered an ankle injury in a 1–1 draw againstSouthampton, putting him out of action for one month. His return to the squad was in aLeague Cup penalty shootout win overRochdale. Pogba then featured in the following game, a 1–1 home draw againstArsenal, where he suffered a recurrence of his injury but also made his 100th appearance for the club.[140][141] In late October it was announced that due to his injury, he would be out until December 2019,[142] and his return was delayed by illness.[143] Pogba made two appearances from the bench in late December againstWatford andNewcastle United before suffering a second recurrence of his injury. In January 2020, Pogba underwent surgery on his ankle putting him out of action for a further four to eight weeks.[144]
In May 2020, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær announced that Pogba would be fit to play following thereturn to football during project restart.[145] In United's first game of the restart, Pogba came on as a substitute and won a penalty whichBruno Fernandes converted, resulting in a 1–1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.[146] On 24 June, Pogba made his first start since September in a 3–0 crushing ofSheffield United.[147]
On 9 July, Pogba scored his first goal of the season as United won 3–0 atAston Villa.[148]
2020–21 season and 2021–22 season
Pogba after a game with Manchester United in 2021
Pogba scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season against Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of theEFL Cup on 30 September 2020, scoring from a deflected free kick to give United a 3–0 win.[149] On 18 March 2021, he scored the winning goal in a 1–0 away win over Milan in theUEFA Europa League round of 16, to help his team to win 2–1 on aggregate and reach the quarter-finals.[150]
In the opening match of thePremier League season on 14 August, Pogba provided four assists in a 5–1 victory overrivalsLeeds United. In doing so, he became just the seventh player in Premier League history to register four assists in a single match, the first United player to achieve the feat, and eclipsed his entire assist tally of the previous season of three.[151]
His only goal of the season came in a 1–1 draw with Burnley in the Premier League on 8 February 2022.[152] On 1 June 2022, Manchester United announced that Pogba would leave the club following the expiration of his contract.[153]
Return to Juventus: injuries and doping ban
On 11 July 2022, Juventus announced Pogba's return on a four-year contract.[154] On 26 July, Pogba injured the meniscus in his knee, and was sidelined for two months.[155] The injury later required surgery that ruled him out until at least after the2022 FIFA World Cup.[156] He eventually made his first appearance of the season, and his second debut for Juventus, as a substitute in a 4–2 win over Torino on 28 February 2023.[157] On 9 March, he was dropped from the Juventus squad by manager Massimiliano Allegri for aEuropa League match againstFreiburg due to disciplinary reasons, as he had turned up late to a team dinner.[158] Four days later, it was reported by the media that Pogba had suffered a muscle injury in training, and that he would be out of action for three weeks.[159] On 14 May 2023, in a league match againstCremonese he received his first starting lineup nomination of the season. He had to be subbed off after only 23 minutes due to a muscle injury.[160] Medical examinations later revealed alesion in his left thigh, thus ruling him out for the remainder of the season. He only played a combined 161 minutes.[161]
On 11 September 2023, Pogba was provisionally suspended from playing due to a failure of a drug test, as non-endogenoustestosterone was found in his test results following a match against Udinese on 20 August.[162] The drugs test was confirmed to be failed on 6 October 2023 after another sample was found to also have non-endogenous testosterone.[163] On 29 February 2024, he received a four-year ban for doping from the Italian Anti-Doping National Tribunal, with the option to appeal to theCourt of Arbitration for Sport.[164] On 4 October, the ban was reduced to 18 months, which meant that he can begin training and begin playing from January 2025 and March 2025, respectively.[7]
On 15 November 2024, Juventus announced that they had reached a mutual agreement with Pogba regarding the termination of his contract, starting from the following 30 November.[165]
Monaco
On 28 June 2025, Pogba signed a contract withMonaco until 30 June 2027.[8] Later that year, on 22 November, he made his debut for the club as a substitute in a 4–1 away defeat againstRennes, marking his first competitive appearance in 811 days.[166]
International career
Youth
Pogba began his international career for France with thenational youth football team. Prior to his international debut, Pogba was namedcaptain of the under-16 team by coach Guy Ferrier. He made his youth international debut on 23 September 2008 in the team's opening match of the campaign againstWales inLlanelli. France won the match 4–2.[167] Under Pogba's leadership, the team recorded impressive victories overUruguay andItaly in the Tournoi duVal-de-Marne and defeated theRepublic of Ireland by an aggregate score of 8–2 over the course of two matches.[168][169][170][171] On 31 January 2009, he scored his first youth international goal in the 2009 Aegean Cup Final againstNorway. The goal gave France a 1–0 lead and the team won the match 2–1 to win the tournament.[172]
He was a part of the team that played at the2010 UEFA European Under-17 Championship scoring both of his goals with the team at the tournament. He scored the only goal in the team's 1–0 victory overPortugal in the group stage and netted his second in the team's 2–1 loss to England in the semi-finals.[173][174] Following the departure of Ferrier as the team's youth international coach, Pogba was re-instated as captain at his age level by new coachPierre Mankowski. Mankowski had previously been the assistant manager of thesenior national team under the reign ofRaymond Domenech. Pogba made his under-18 debut on 27 October 2010 at the Tournio de Limoges againstGreece in a 4–1 victory.[175] On 24 March 2011, Pogba scored his first goal with the team netting the game-winning goal in a 2–1 win overGermany. The goal was scored from over 30 metres (33 yd) out.[176]
Pogba made his debut with theunder-19 team in its first match of the season againstItaly on 6 September 2011. In the match, he assisted on two goals, scored byJean-Christophe Bahebeck andAnthony Koura, in a 3–1 victory.[177] On 29 February 2012, he scored his first goal for the team in a 2–1 defeat toSpain.[178] InElite Round qualification for the2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, Pogba scored the fifth goal in the team's 6–0 rout of theNetherlands. The victory qualified France for the competition.[179] On 11 June 2012, Pogba was named to the squad to participate in the tournament. In the team's opening group stage match againstSerbia, he converted a penalty in a 3–0 win.[180] France reached the semi-finals where the team faced Spain. In the match, with France trailing 3–2 inextra time, Pogba scored the equalising goal three minutes prior to the match's completion to send it topenalties. Despite Pogba converting the opening penalty for France,Les Bleuets were defeated 4–2.[181]
Due to the under-19 team's semi-final appearance in the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, the nation qualified for the2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which meritedunder-20 team appearances for Pogba. Similar to the previous two seasons, Pogba was installed as captain by Mankowski and made his under-20 debut in a 0–0 draw againstChina.[182] In the team's next match againstNorth Korea, Pogba scored the team's second goal in a 3–1 win.[183] Pogba was the captain of the team that won France's first everFIFA U-20 World Cup. In that tournament held inTurkey, he played every minute of all of France's matches except for the final group match against Spain, in which he was an unused substitute. He was named the best player of the tournament.[184]
On 22 March 2013, Pogba made his debut for theFrench senior team in a2014 World Cup qualifier againstGeorgia. He played the full 90 minutes in a 3–1 win.[185] He scored his first international goal againstBelarus on 10 September 2013 in a 4–2 victory, once again during a 2014 World Cup qualifier.[186]
On 6 June 2014, Pogba was named in France's squad for the2014 FIFA World Cup.[187] On 15 June, he started in central midfield in the team's first World Cup fixture – a 3–0 victory overHonduras – suffering a foul fromWilson Palacios which led to a red card for the Honduran and a penalty kick, which was converted byKarim Benzema to give France the lead.[188] He appeared as a substitute in the team's second match, assisting a goal for Benzema in a 5–2 victory ofSwitzerland.[189] In theround of 16, Pogba scored a 79th minute opening goal and was named man of the match byFIFA[190] asLes Bleus defeatedNigeria 2–0 inBrasília.[191] France were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the competition following a 1–0 defeat to eventual champions Germany on 4 July with Pogba giving away the free kick from which the Germans eventually scored.[192][193][194] On 13 July 2014, Pogba was named the tournament'sBest Young Player.[195]
Euro 2016
In May 2016, Pogba was named by national side managerDidier Deschamps to France's 23-man squad forUEFA Euro 2016, to be played on home soil.[196] Although much was expected of Pogba at the upcoming European Championships, in France's opening match of the tournament, a 2–1 win overRomania on 10 June, he endured criticism for his perceived negative performance after being played out of position and was subsequently left on the bench by Deschamps for his nation's second group match, later coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2–0 win overAlbania.[197] In the round of 16, he was once again the target of media scrutiny for conceding an early penalty againstIreland, prompting former England internationalGary Lineker to tweet: “Is Pogba the world's most overrated player?”; France eventually came from behind to win the match 2–1.[197]
In the quarter-final match againstIceland on 3 July, at theStade de France, Pogba was able to recapture his form, putting on a dominant performance in his new midfield role, as he scored his nation's second goal of the night from a header followingAntoine Griezmann's corner, which he had previously helped to obtain;[197] he later started the play which led to Griezmann's goal, as the host nation advanced to the semi-finals of the competition following a 5–2 win.[198] In the semi-final match againstGermany four days later, Pogba was once again started in a deep-lying midfield role alongsideBlaise Matuidi in a 4–2–3–1 formation; followingN'Golo Kanté's introduction in the second half, he was shifted to a more advanced role, which gave him more tactical freedom, and he subsequently helped to create Griezmann's second goal of the match, as the hosts defeated the reigning World Cup Champions 2–0 to advance to thefinal of the tournament,[199][200] where they suffered a 1–0 extra-time defeat toPortugal.[201]
On 17 May 2018, Pogba was named in the France squad for the2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[202] On 16 June 2018, he took the shot that deflected offAziz Behich and resulted in the winning goal in France's 2–1 win overAustralia in their opening match at the tournament.[203] The goal was initially awarded to Pogba, but the following day FIFA re-awarded it as an own goal to Behich.[204]
In the 59th minute of the2018 FIFA World Cup final, Pogba extended France's lead overCroatia to 3–1 with a strike from the edge of the penalty area after his initial shot had been blocked.[205] France eventually won the World Cup by a score of 4–2.[206]
Euro 2020 and beyond
On 23 June 2021, in France's final group match ofUEFA Euro 2020 against Portugal, Pogba assistedKarim Benzema's second goal in a 2–2 draw, which saw them top their group.[207] He later scored with abending 25-yard strike in the round-of-16 match against Switzerland, where France were knocked out of the tournament on penalties after a 3–3 draw.[208]
Pogba primarily plays as acentral midfielder. He can also play as adeep-lying playmaker or as anattacking midfielder.[209][210][211][212][excessive citations] Pogba was described by Manchester United as a "powerful, skilful, and creative" player who has "an eye for goal and a penchant for the spectacular."[213] He can also play as an offensive-minded central midfielder that often drifts out wide, known as the "mezzala" role in Italy.[214][215] During his time in Italy, he gained the nicknamesIl Polpo Paul ("Paul the Octopus") for his long legs that look like tentacles[216] and "Pogboom" for his explosive pace and energy on the pitch.[217] A quick, hardworking, and physically strong player, he possesses good aerial abilities, good passing, and good vision. He is also known for his powerful and accurate shots from distance.[210][218][219][220][221][excessive citations] He has often been compared with former France internationalPatrick Vieira in his youth.[216] He is also known for his ability to make forward runs from deeper areas of the pitch.[222]
During his final season with Juventus, Pogba was played as an advanced midfielder,[210] which saw him gain more ball possession and allowed him to function as the team's mainplaymaker;[88][218][219][223][excessive citations] his performances in this role saw him develop from a promising youngster into one of the best midfielders in the world.[224][225] Upon Pogba's departure from Juventus in 2016, his former teammateGianluigi Buffon compared him to former French playmakersMichel Platini andZinedine Zidane and also praised his leadership and hard work, both on the pitch and in training, stating that he "...is a tremendous warrior on the pitch but also has so much talent. His control of the ball and the way he can swiftly change the play from defence to attack is special."[226][227] Pogba is also an effectivefree kick[228] andpenalty taker.[229] Despite his talent, he has been accused of being inconsistent.[222] Moreover, he has also struggled with injuries during his time with Manchester United.[230]
In August 2017, Pogba spoke about the possibility ofopenly gay footballers in thePremier League. During aUEFA respect campaign inMonaco, Pogba said that gay footballers should be considered "equal". He also stated that "what he does in his private life has nothing to do with the player ... You have just to respect him ... [because] We are all equal when we play football."[238]
In August 2022, a French investigation was opened following allegations that Pogba was the victim of an extortion plot involving his childhood friends and witchcraft doctors, also calledMarabout.[240] Pogba revealed to the French police that he had been physically "trapped by childhood friends" and "two gunmen" asking him for €13 million for past services, including the consultation of witchcraft doctors.[241] He explained that he was also harassed during Juventus training and that he thought about quitting football. It was revealed that large sums of money were demanded from Pogba to avoid the release of videos allegedly compromising him. Two investigations, one in France and one in Italy, were opened on suspicion of extortion attempts.[242][243] On 19 December 2024, his brother, Mathias Pogba, was sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended, for attempted extortion of €13 million. Five other defendants received sentences of up to eight years.[244]
^"POGBA, RINNOVO!" [Pogba, contract renewal!] (in Italian). Juventus FC. 24 October 2014. Archived fromthe original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved11 May 2015.
^Mauro, Alberto (19 March 2015)."Juve ai quarti di Champions senza Pogba: starà fuori 2 mesi" [Juve in the Champions League quarter-finals without Pogba: he will be out for 2 months].La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Milan. Retrieved19 March 2015.
^"Technical report"(PDF).UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. p. 13. Retrieved3 April 2018.
^Vaciago, Guido (4 December 2013)."Pogba vince il Golden Boy: "Darò tutto per la Juve"" [Pogba wins the 2013 Golden Boy award: "I will give everything for Juve"].Tuttosport (in Italian). Turin. Archived fromthe original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved4 December 2013.
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