Paul Pogba Leaves Monaco After Ten Months of Failed Comeback

Ten months. That's how long Paul Pogba's stint at Monaco lasted, a two-year contract signed with hopes of reviving a career battered by injuries and a doping suspension, and which ended in a mutual termination just before the start of the new Ligue 1 season.

The Principality club and the player himself announced the split from a deal that, on paper, was supposed to run through June 2027. In a statement, the eight-time French champions were blunt, acknowledging that "the objectives initially set were only partially achieved" and that both parties had decided to end the contract right before the season opener.

The problem has a name: injuries. Pogba arrived at Monaco looking to bounce back after a physical ordeal and a doping ban that nearly pushed him out of professional soccer. But his body never cooperated. Preseason once again found him struggling to get fit, and to make matters worse, he suffered a new injury right when he was finally expected to start getting consistent minutes. The result was bleak for a player of his stature: barely a handful of substitute appearances over the entire past season.

The 33-year-old player himself said his goodbyes with words of gratitude toward the club that gave him a chance when few others were willing to.

"Monaco is an exceptional club. Even though I didn't play as many matches as I would have liked, I will always be grateful for the opportunity."Paul Pogba

From World Cup champion to the ban that changed everything

It's hard to believe this is the same player who scored in the 2018 World Cup final, a 4-2 win for France over Croatia. Pogba made 91 appearances for the French national team and scored 11 goals, and in 2016 he became the most expensive signing in soccer history when he returned to Manchester United from Juventus for 105 million euros (about $116 million). All of that was left behind when, in February 2024, Italy's anti-doping tribunal initially handed him a four-year suspension after he tested positive for testosterone while playing for Juventus. The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced that penalty to 18 months in October of that year, which opened the door for his move to Monaco.

The Monaco side, which finished seventh in the last Ligue 1 season, will now have to move forward without one of the biggest names to have worn its jersey in recent years, while Pogba is left a free agent, searching once again for the club that can help him feel like a soccer player again.