Paul Pogba's ban will be lifted on March 11 - 18 months after he was suspended for failing a drug test. Despite his return being due soon, the Frenchman still hasn't found a new club that will welcome him back. So many doors, but only a few are open and here's why.
Paul Pogba will finally make his long-awaited comeback to competitive football on March 11. The 2018 World Cup winner was set to be banned for four years after he tested positive for testosterone in August 2023, but his sentence was decreased to 18 months in November by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
A return to Juventus once the ban would be lifted was immediately ruled out for the Frenchman, with the 'Bianconeri' terminating his contract just two months after CAS had confirmed the reduced suspension. The abrupt farewell left Pogba as a free agent and with no choice but to find a new team to pursue his dream to play professionally once again.
But with March 11 around the corner and still no club that has welcomed him back, the options for 'La Pioche' look slimmer and slimmer. There have been speculations over a possible return to Manchester United, a move to Marseille to rejoin former teammate Adrien Rabiot, or a more viable transfer away from Europe to Saudi Arabia or the MLS, but nothing has materialised so far. And here is why.
Pogba's biggest motivation to return playing at the top level is said to be his desire to play for the national team. Turning 32 this week, the 2026 World Cup may well be the midfielder's last shot at playing in a major international tournament after missing out on Didier Deschamps' Euro 2024 squad last summer.
But with the immense competition for a place in the 'Equipe de France', playing among the top five leagues would be his best bet at making the cut. Rumours circulated that Red Devil boss Ruben Amorim would be prepared to take the leap with Pogba amid Man United's ongoing struggles, however, no concrete reports have emerged on the situation.
Marseille have also reported to be interested, with football director Medhi Benatia having played alongside Pogba at Juventus. Rabiot, also one of Pogba's former teammates at the Turin side, admitted he "would love to play with Pogba" in the south coast of France. However, his words were said in December prior to the opening of the January transfer window.
Any chance for the ex-Juve man to move to Ligue 1 this season are now impossible due to the regulations forbidding teams from signing a player, free agent or not, during the second half of the season. OL could be an option for the upcoming season, though there is always the looming concern that enlisting a player whose form will be uncertain after such a long absence would be a massive risk.
In January, Pogba had said on social media he had received "proposals, not very interesting stuff", such as "going to play in Russia, but that's not the goal". A contract, he admitted, "doesn't depend on me, but on a lot of other things". But among the top European leagues, there is little to no demand for Pogba.
His age and elevated wages - he earned 10 million euros annually at Juve - make it near impossible, as well as undesirable, for a club to acquire his services. And with his last official game dating back to September 2023, many believe that he no longer has anything to offer on the pitch.
Everything now points towards a move to the Middle East or the United States. It has now become a trend for aging stars to transfer to either the Saudi Pro League or the MLS, with household names like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Karim Benzema leaving Europe in recent years to go where the money lies.
Having moved to Florida with his family in October, Messi's Inter Miami seems to be the perfect club for 'La Pioche'. Pogba has already met with club owner David Beckham and was also spotted in the stands for the MLS opener between Miami and New York City (2-2) on February 23.
The France international is also working on getting back to optimal fitness conditions with the same trainer as the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. With the league about to kick-off its fourth matchday of the season, the Major Soccer League may represent a better solution than Saudi Arabia, where the domestic competition concludes on the weekend of May 26.