Paul Pogba returns to football after 26 months

Paul Pogba made his long-awaited comeback to competitive football on Saturday night, entering as an 85th-minute substitute for Monaco in their 5-1 loss away to Rennes.

The 32-year-old, sidelined since September 2023 due to a doping ban (reduced to 18 months), injuries, and an extortion case involving his brother, received a standing ovation from the Roazhon Park crowd both upon his introduction and at full-time.

Speaking after the match, Pogba said:
“Football isn’t over for me. We’ve worked hard, we’ve waited more than two years to get back, and today it finally happened. Thank God. It really touched me to see the crowd stand and applaud. I honestly didn’t expect that, so a huge thank you to all the fans.”

Despite the heavy defeat, he added:
“I’m relieved to be back playing football, the thing I love most in the world. But there’s still work to do to get back to full fitness, play 90 minutes, and help the team as much as possible.”

Monaco were already 4-0 down and reduced to 10 men when Pogba came on. Rennes goals came from Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Mahdi Camara, Breel Embolo, Ludovic Blas (penalty), and Elye Wahi, with Mika Biereth netting a late consolation.

PSG defeated Le Havre 3-0 at home

Elsewhere, PSG returned to the top of Ligue 1 with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Le Havre through Lee Kang-in, João Neves, and Bradley Barcola. Luis Enrique’s side now lead by two points.

Marseille sit second after Friday’s 5-1 thrashing of Nice, with Mason Greenwood scoring twice to reach 10 league goals, while Lens moved third with a 1-0 win over Strasbourg.

Pogba’s emotional return marks the start of a new chapter after one of football’s longest absences.