Paul Pogba has returned to professional football for the first time in two years, having served a four-year doping ban that was reduced to 18 months on appeal, which meant he could play again from March 2025.

Pogba, 32, came on in the 85th minute of Monaco’s 4-1 loss at Rennes in the French league on Saturday, receiving a loud ovation from supporters at Roazhon Park.

But, having last featured in a game on Sept. 3, 2023, for Juventus against Empoli, what has the former world-record transfer holder and 2018 World Cup winner done over recent years?

ESPN takes a look at how we got here.

Aug. 8, 2016: Pog-back!

Having left Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson to join Juventus in 2012, where he won Serie A four times in a row and the Coppa Italia twice, Pogba returned to United for a world-record fee of £89.3 million.

Paul Pogba. 🙌 #POGBACK pic.twitter.com/NhHjhWx5XT

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 9, 2016

He made his debut in a 2-0 win over Southampton and won the Europa League and Carabao Cup in his debut campaign. However, he fell out with then-United manager Jose Mourinho and struggled to find consistency under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and interim boss Ralf Rangnick.

June 1, 2022: Free agent

United announced that Pogba would leave the club on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract.

“It was a low-key end to a United career that brought so many individual high moments,” the club said in a statement. “So many beautiful goals, assists and pieces of skill. For a boy that joined the academy at 16 to make over 200 United appearances and lift the Youth Cup, along with two major pieces of silverware, is something that should be applauded and celebrated.”

Meanwhile, Pogba posted on social media: “I feel privileged to have played for this club. Many beautiful moments and memories but most importantly an unconditional support from the fans. Thank you, Man Utd.”

July 11, 2022: Pog-back-to-back!

Pogba decided to move back to Italy and re-signed for his former club Juventus.

#PogbackToBack ⚪️⚫️ pic.twitter.com/ROHDIr2BSs

— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) July 11, 2022

“Paul is back in Turin,” read a Juventus statement. “He left as a boy and returns as a man and a champion, but there is one thing that has not changed — the desire to write unforgettable pages of club history together once more. Pogba is back and we couldn’t be happier.”

However, he soon struggled with injury issues and quickly fell out with manager Massimiliano Allegri.

Sept. 14, 2022: Brother in custody over extortion plot

Pogba’s brother Mathias (along with five other people) was taken into custody and then later charged by French authorities in connection with an alleged organized armed extortion attempt against the Juventus midfielder.

French prosecutors investigated allegations that Pogba was the target of extortion by his elder brother and childhood friends, who allegedly demanded €13 million (nearly $13 million) from the former Manchester United star.

Mathias had previously been a player for clubs including Partick Thistle, Wrexham, Crewe Alexandra and Crawley Town.

Oct. 31, 2022: Ruled out of World Cup

It was announced that Pogba would miss the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after failing to recover from knee surgery.

Pogba underwent an operation in September, but his agent said that, after a medical review, the midfielder would not yet return to the Juventus squad or join up with France for the World Cup, which took place from Nov. 20 to Dec. 18.

“Following yesterday and today’s medical review in Torino and Pittsburgh, it is extremely painful to inform Paul Pogba will still need recovery time from his surgery,” agent Rafaela Pimenta said. “For this reason, Paul will not be able to join Juventus squad before the World Cup break nor the French national team in Qatar. If wishful thinking would change things, Paul would be playing tomorrow.”

Sept. 11, 2023: Tests positive for DHEA

Italy’s anti-doping agency announced that Pogba had tested positive for DHEA — a banned substance that raises levels of testosterone — after Juventus’ game at Udinese on Aug. 20. His backup B sample also tested positive for testosterone on Oct. 6 meaning the midfielder would face a doping investigation.

“In acceptance of the instance proposed by the National Anti-doping Prosecutor, it has provided for the provisional suspension of the athlete Paul Labile Pogba,” Nado Italia, the anti-doping agency, said in a statement.

The tribunal said Pogba had violated anti-doping rules when it found the prohibited substance “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites,” adding that the results were “consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds.”

Juventus issued a statement acknowledging the positive result and suspension, adding that it would “evaluate the next procedural steps.”

“We are waiting for the results of the counter-analysis and cannot say anything until then,” Pimenta said in a statement reported by Italian media. “The only certain thing is that Paul Pogba never intended to break the rules.”

Pogba later claimed it was a mistake, saying he took some food supplements he was given without knowing they contained an illicit substance.

Feb. 29, 2024: Handed four-year ban

Anti-doping prosecutors in Italy had requested a maximum four-year ban, and they announced the full sanction in February.

Pogba opted not to make a plea bargain with Italy’s anti-doping agency, meaning the case was tried before the country’s anti-doping court. But in a statement, he confirmed he will appeal the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and insisted he has never taken banned substances.

“I have today been informed of the Tribunale Nazionale Antidoping’s decision and believe that the verdict is incorrect,” he said. “I am sad, shocked and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me.”

Allegri told a news conference that he had contacted Pogba, who still had a contract at the Turin club until June 2026.

“I wrote him a message two days ago,” Allegri said. “On a human level I’m very sorry, but also from a footballing point of view. This sport is losing an extraordinary and difficult to find player who I had the pleasure of coaching. On top of that, Paul is also a very good person.”

May 5, 2024: Stars in film

Pogba used his downtime to star in a French movie — “4 Zéros” (a sequel to “3 Zéros,” released in 2002), which was released in 2024 — filming scenes in Paris, sources confirmed to ESPN.

According to French outlet Le Parisien, which first reported on Pogba’s role in the film, the 31-year-old played a youth team football coach.

Oct. 4, 2024: Suspension reduced to 18 months

The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced Pogba’s ban to 18 months on appeal, meaning he would be eligible to make a return to competitive football in March 2025.

CAS judges cut Pogba’s ban as they acknowledged a lack of intent and said his positive test was the result of erroneously taking a supplement prescribed to him by a medical doctor in Florida.

Pogba welcomed the decision in a statement.

“Finally the nightmare is over,” he said. “Following the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, I can look forward to the day when I can follow my dreams again. I always stated that I never knowingly breached World Anti-Doping Agency regulations when I took a nutritional supplement prescribed to me by a doctor, which does not affect or enhance the performance of male athletes.”

The player then told ESPN after the CAS judgment that he had considered retiring in the immediate aftermath of receiving the initial four-year punishment.

Nov. 30, 2024: Juventus, Pogba mutually terminate contract

With Pogba having played his last game for Juventus against Empoli on Sept. 3, 2023, the Serie A club confirmed the termination of his contract by mutual consent.

“The club wishes Paul the very best for his professional future,” the Turin side added in a statement.

Pogba added: “My time at Juventus has come to an end. It has been a privilege to pull on the shirt of the Bianconeri and to share so many special moments together.

“I cherish the memories we made. They live on. Even in the most difficult moments over the past year, your support was crucial and I want to thank Juve fans around the world for their compassion. It has been a pleasure to have experienced so many great moments with my teammates over the years and I wish them every success in the future. I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career and to stepping out on the pitch with my next club.”

Dec. 19, 2024: Mathias Pogba handed three-year jail term

Mathias Pogba was sentenced by a Paris criminal court to three years in prison — two of which were suspended — “for the offenses of attempted extortion and criminal conspiracy.”

He was also fined €20,000, but avoided time behind bars — though he had to serve one year wearing an electronic tag.

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Laurens ‘so happy’ to see Pogba sign for Monaco

Julien Laurens and Stewart Robson discuss Paul Pogba signing for Monaco, having not played football competitively since September 2023.

June 28, 2025: Joins Monaco

Having left Le Havre for Manchester United when he was only 16, Pogba had never played in France’s Ligue 1 before, but he joined AS Monaco on a free transfer.

A source told ESPN that Pogba, who has signed a two-year deal, turned down a lucrative offer from a Saudi Pro League side.

Nov. 20, 2025: Named in Monaco squad

Pogba was due was due to make his debut against Angers on Oct. 18, but he suffered a small ankle injury at training and had to miss out.

Sources said that the club put a full fitness rehabilitation process in place for him to get fit again and prevent injuries when he will start to play regularly. It collected hundreds of biochemicals data, postural analysis, mental assertion, athletics measures and mobility tests, cognitive tests, fitness tests, etc.

And he was then named in the squad to face Rennes a month later.

Nov. 22, 2025: Plays vs. Rennes

A total of 811 days had passed since his last game, but Pogba came on in the 85th minute of the 4-1 loss at Rennes in the French league, receiving a loud ovation from supporters at Roazhon Park.

“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,” Pogba told reporters afterward, according to AFP. “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 who were there today and supported me.”