Pogba’s World Cup dream fades as injuries take toll on former France star

By Canadian Press on January 14, 2026.

MONACO (AP) — Paul Pogba is still hoping to play at this year’s World Cup, but it’s not looking good for the former France star.

The 32-year-old midfielder, whose former clubs include Manchester United and Juventus, joined Monaco on a two-year contract last summer in a bid to relaunch a career derailed by injuries and a doping ban.

Pogba has been hampered by a left calf injury he sustained during training and which has kept him sidelined for a month.

That injury was the latest in a series of physical issues and Pogba has only played about 30 minutes since making his Monaco debut at the end of November.

“The program and the plan for Paul is not working the way we expected in the beginning,” Monaco CEO Thiago Scuro said on Wednesday. “He is very disturbed by the fact that he is struggling … (he wants) to be more available, to increase the minutes on the pitch.”

Pogba wept when he signed his contract with Monaco, which has been underperforming this season and lags in ninth place in the Ligue 1 standings, already 17 points behind leader Lens.

A shorter stay?

Scuro said he still hopes Pogba will return to competition and be able to make an impact soon, but hinted at unspecified clauses in his contract that could lead to a shorter stay at the Riviera club.

“If it does not work, for sure the parties can sit down in the summer and try to have another discussion, where do we go?” he said. “It’s not the moment to have this discussion because we are engaged on trying to find the solution and bring him back.”

In 2016, Pogba became the then-most expensive soccer player in history when he returned to United from Juventus for a fee of 105 million euros (then $116 million).

World Cup winner

Pogba has played 91 times for France and scored 11 goals. He stood out among Europe’s very best midfielders with an assured technique, strong physique and stamina, astute passing and an ability to fill a number of roles in midfield.

His last appearance for Les Bleus came nearly four years ago in a friendly match against South Africa, but a lingering knee injury ruled him out of the 2022 World Cup.

At his peak, Pogba was arguably France’s most influential player. He helped France win the World Cup in 2018, scoring in the final when France beat Croatia 4-2.

The biggest blow to his career came in February 2024 when he was initially banned for four years by Italy’s anti-doping court after he tested positive for testosterone while still at Juventus. In October 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced his ban to 18 months.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press