Pogba is back

One year after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) handed him a four-year ban – later reduced to 18 months after it was found he had not doped intentionally – and following a bitter legal dispute with his younger brother and an extortion attempt by a gang of criminals, Paul Pogba is back. Starting today, March 11, 2025, at 12:00 a.m. ET, the midfielder is officially eligible to return to the pitch – a moment of liberation, even though he has barely played in almost two years due to suspension and relentless injuries.

Where will Paul Pogba play?

The 31-year-old Frenchman has endured a harrowing 18 months, training alone after terminating his contract with Juventus, who swiftly cut ties once the doping suspension was confirmed. His goal, according to those close to him, is to prepare as best as possible for next season with a competitive team – and ultimately fight for a place at the 2026 World Cup with France.

His next move will be crucial. Despite widespread uncertainty over his physical condition – he hasn’t played an official match since September 4, 2023, for Juventus against Empoli – Pogba remains determined to be part of a major European project. Among the few clubs to have shown tentative interest is Olympique de Marseille, who held talks with the midfielder in January but ultimately decided against signing him.

Sources at Marseille explained that negotiations never progressed because they feared his arrival could create divisions in the locker room. A high-profile signing like Pogba, who would have been unable to play until March 11, risked shifting focus from the team’s performance to endless speculation over his fitness. Marseille, currently sitting second in France’s Ligue 1 – though 16 points behind PSG – chose stability. Still, both club president Pablo Longoria and sporting director Medhi Benatia remain admirers of the former Juventus star, and a renewed push to sign him this summer cannot be ruled out, just as they convinced Adrien Rabiot to join the club last August under coach Roberto De Zerbi’s ambitious project.

Could Pogba move to MLS or Brazil?

Pogba has also received formal approaches from MLS clubs and teams in Brazil, but none have turned into concrete offers. For now, he appears to favor staying in Europe, where the leagues are more competitive – and where his form can be more rigorously tested. His fitness remains a major question mark. Though the idea of playing in the United States appeals to him, he is well aware that France’s coach Didier Deschamps will likely prioritize players competing at the highest level in Europe when selecting his World Cup squad – even if he did call up N’Golo Kanté, now in Saudi Arabia, for the last European Championship.

These are the most decisive months of Pogba’s career, as he chases what he recently called his greatest dream: wearing the French jersey again and securing his place at the next World Cup. Europe is watching carefully to see if the man who, until 2020, was considered one of the best midfielders in the world – even attracting interest from Real Madrid during Zinedine Zidane’s tenure – can rediscover his old form.

For France, his return is a cause for celebration, a potential solution to a midfield long in search of a leader. But for Pogba, the real battle is only just beginning.

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