Pogba Ends 811-Day Hiatus with Brief Pitch Return Amid Monaco's Crushing Defeat

Paul Pogba completed his emotional football comeback after a 19-month doping suspension during Monaco's 4-1 thrashing by Rennes, entering as a late substitute in a match already decided by a red card and four unanswered goals.

By Chris Posiano

November 23, 2025 at 5:02 AM

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Paul Pogba experienced a poignant yet bittersweet return to professional football after 811 days, stepping onto the field for AS Monaco in the 85th minute of their lopsided 4-1 loss to Rennes at Roazhon Park. The French World Cup winner, tearfully embraced by fans when signing for Monaco last summer following his reduced doping ban, entered a contest where his team trailed 4-0 and played with ten men after captain Denis Zakaria's dismissal.

The 32-year-old midfielder's last competitive action occurred on September 3, 2023, during a Juventus Serie A fixture against Empoli—a timeframe spanning precisely 811 days. His Juventus contract terminated by mutual agreement in November 2024 while serving a provisional four-year sanction stemming from a February 2024 doping violation announcement. The ban originated from an August 2023 test detecting dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which Pogba consistently attributed to unknowingly ingesting a contaminated supplement.

After the Court of Arbitration for Sport slashed his suspension to 19 months, Pogba officially regained playing eligibility in March 2025. He observed helplessly from the substitutes' bench as Rennes' Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Mahdi Camara, Breel Embolo, and Ludovic Blas each found the net. Substitute Mika Biereth scored Monaco's solitary consolation in the fifth minute of stoppage time, though the result cemented a second consecutive 4-1 defeat.

The loss drops Sebastien Pocognoli's side to eighth place in Ligue 1 with 20 points from 13 matches, compounding managerial pressure after a dismal run. Pogba managed just 17 touches during his brief cameo, his presence underscoring Monaco's ongoing struggles despite the symbolic significance of his long-awaited return to competitive action.