Paul Pogba returns to football, signs a two-year contract with AS Monaco

French World Cup winner Paul Pogba has returned to football, joining Ligue 1 side AS Monaco on a contract until 2027, according to reports from France and the United Kingdom.

Pogba, 32, was banned for four years after failing a dug test in August 2023 while he was playing for Juventus in the Serie A. Though the ban was reduced to 18 months on appeal, the Italian side eventually terminated his contract.

The Frenchman will now join Monaco on a two-year contract, looking to make a comeback in professional football.

Pogba, a youth product of Manchester United, was initially released from the club by Sir Alex Ferguson, but rose to his prime at Juventus as a midfielder. In four seasons, he won eight trophies with the Old Lady of Turin, also reaching the UEFA Champions League final in 2015.

His exploits attracted the interest of the then-manager of United, Jose Mourinho, who roped him in for a world record fee of 105 million euros.

Under the Portuguese, Pogba won the Europa League and the League Cup, playing 154 times for the Red Devils before relations turned sour between him and the club as he returned to Juve.

At the international level, Pogba had become France’s linchpin in the midfield, helping it win the FIFA World Cup after 20 years, in 2018, and its maiden UEFA Nations League in 2021.