Pogba targets comeback to surpass past form with Monaco and France

Journalists from France, England, and Italy fill the auditorium of Monaco’s performance centre. The room buzzes with conversations in multiple languages, centered on Eric Dier and Ansu Fati, who were recently introduced. But the main attraction is yet to arrive—the one who has drawn reporters from across Europe. Then, a door opens, and Paul Pogba steps in.

Taking his seat at the podium, he begins to speak. "You saw the emotions," Pogba says, referring to the widely shared footage of him in tears after signing his Monaco contract, marking the end of his two-year hiatus from the sport. "I rarely cry like that, so I hope you appreciated it," he adds with a faint smile. "So many memories rushed back in that moment—the doping case, my injury. Everything hit me at once, and I couldn’t stop myself."

The doping suspension, later reduced from four years to 18 months on appeal, is just one of the challenges he has faced. His long-awaited return to Juventus in 2022 was marred by injuries, limiting him to just over 200 minutes on the field. Worse still was the 2022 kidnapping plot against him, orchestrated in part by his brother, Mathias.

Mathias later accused Pogba of hiring a spiritual advisor to place a curse on Kylian Mbappé before Manchester United faced Paris Saint-Germain in the 2019 Champions League. Both Pogba and the advisor denied the claims, though the midfielder acknowledged seeking spiritual guidance to overcome persistent injury troubles.

For Pogba, the mental strain played a role in his prolonged absence even before the doping ban took effect in September 2023. "Everything is connected. If your mind isn’t right, your performance suffers," he explained. Now, he appears to have found stability. Beneath his confident demeanor and occasional humor, there were flashes of the emotional struggles he has endured.

"In my head, there was always a voice telling me 'you’ll make it back' and another saying 'it's over,'" he admitted. "But my wife kept me going. I stayed focused. I wanted my children to watch me play. My dream is for them to celebrate my goals with a dab. I’m still the same Paul Pogba—just more determined. You’ll see."

The former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder has another goal: reclaiming his place in France’s national team for next year’s World Cup. "It would be a dream, a bonus," said the 2018 champion. But time is against him. While his renewed mental strength and resolved personal issues may help overcome injuries, his physical condition remains uncertain.

"My body, mentally and physically, has taken a beating these past few years," he said. "Getting back to a professional level won’t happen overnight. But I’m ready to fight for it."