Paul Pogba’s Monaco Comeback Is Falling Apart And His World Cup Dream Is Slipping Away

Paul Pogba’s story this season has been nothing short of a modern football tragedy. When AS Monaco signed the 2018 World Cup winner last summer it was billed as a career reboot, a chance for the French midfielder to return to the pitch after a long and turbulent absence. 

Instead of a fairy-tale comeback, he has endured a frustrating series of setbacks, one injury after another, and his aspirations of featuring for France at the 2026 World Cup are quickly fading. 

Paul Pogba’s Return To Football After Hell And Back

Pogba’s journey to this moment has been extraordinary. After a successful spell with Juventus and Manchester United. His career derailed dramatically in 2023 when he tested positive for a banned substance, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), early in the season. 

That result triggered a four-year ban, later reduced to 18 months on appeal, which kept him away from competitive football until March 2025. Once eligible again, Pogba found himself a free agent after Juventus mutually terminated his contract in late 2024. An ignominious end for a player who was once one of the most coveted midfielders in the world.

AS Monaco stepped in with a two-year contract offer in June 2025, providing what many saw as the perfect place for Pogba to rebuild his career in Ligue 1. His Monaco debut finally arrived in late November 2025, roughly 811 days after his last professional match. 

He came on as a late substitute in a 4-1 loss to Rennes, greeted by applause and emotion. For Pogba, stepping back on the pitch was a symbolic moment in his long journey back to fitness. However, from that point on, his story has been defined by frustration rather than fulfillment.

Recurring Injuries And A Plan Falling Apart

Monaco’s initial plan for Pogba was carefully structured. Head coach Adi Hütter and the club envisioned ramping up his minutes gradually from October through December. 

Allowing him to regain full match fitness and even contribute meaningfully to Ligue 1 and European competition. Reality has been far harsher. Instead of consistent game time, Pogba has played a cumulative total of roughly 30 minutes since his debut. 

Brief cameos against Rennes, Paris Saint-Germain, and Brest offered fleeting glimpses of his talent, but were not nearly enough to build rhythm or confidence. More alarmingly, training ground issues have repeatedly set him back. 

In mid-December, he suffered a left calf injury during training, his third muscular problem of the season,  forcing him to miss several fixtures and derailing his fragile momentum. Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro acknowledged that the club’s carefully laid plan is “not working the way we expected,” highlighting just how much Pogba’s campaign has faltered. 

The club has been cautious with his workload, at times leaving him out of matchday squads altogether to manage his fitness, but even that hasn’t prevented further setbacks. The recurring nature of these injuries highlights deeper concerns about Pogba’s physical resilience four years into his thirties, in a sport that demands relentless athleticism. 

The Fading France Dream And World Cup Doubts

When Pogba signed for Monaco, a return to the French national team for the 2026 World Cup was part of the dream. France qualified without him, and Didier Deschamps has plenty of midfield options from which to choose. Given Pogba’s limited minutes this season, that dream has all but evaporated. 

Pogba himself has been measured in discussing his international prospects, recognizing that his club form will determine his chances. Yet playing only a handful of minutes with Monaco hardly strengthens his case. 

Additionally, pundits and former players have been sceptical, some privately doubting he will make Deschamps’ squad at all. From France’s perspective, a World Cup squad is typically selected from players who are match-fit and contributing regularly at club level. 

At 32, Pogba is competing with younger, fitter options, and his injury record this season makes it difficult to justify selection over other midfielders. It remains theoretically possible that he could force his way back into contention, but the window is closing rapidly as the tournament looms. 

What This Means For Monaco And Pogba’s Future

Monaco signed Pogba with a vision of integrating his experience and quality into a team that sought domestic success and European competition. Instead, they have watched consistent plans unravel. The club’s CEO has hinted that a reshuffle could occur if things do not improve. This suggests that both parties may reevaluate their relationship at the end of the season. 

This season’s Ligue 1 campaign has been tough for AS Monaco as well, they find themselves down the table and struggling for consistency without Pogba’s creative spark. A player of his profile was expected to influence big games, but limited playing time has curbed any real impact he might have had. 

For Pogba, the implications are profound. He came to Monaco seeking redemption and a platform to prove he still belongs among football’s elite. Instead, he has endured a stop-start season that raises more questions than answers about his durability and future contribution. Will Monaco remain patient and supportive, or will they shift focus to more dependable options? Time will tell.

Conclusion

Paul Pogba’s 2025-26 season with AS Monaco has become a bitter exercise in what could have been. From the heights of winning the World Cup in 2018 to grappling with injury setbacks and fitness challenges, the French midfielder’s journey has been a sobering reminder of how fragile a football career can be. 

His hopes of revitalizing his career in Ligue 1 and returning to the France squad for the 2026 World Cup now hang by a thread. With each passing week of limited minutes and recurring injuries, those once bright dreams dim just a little more.