'Football is not over for me' - Paul Pogba emotional after first game in 811 days

Carlo Garganese

• 23 Nov 2025 09:54 CST
• 4 min read

News

Paul Pogba was understandably emotional after playing his first football game in 811 days.

Pogba was handed a standing ovation when he was introduced as an 85th minute substiutute in Monaco's 4-1 defeat at Rennes at Roazhon Park on Saturday.

It was Pogba's first appearance on a football pitch for 811 days after more than two years of trials and tribulations.

After the game, Pogba was very emotional as he described what it meant to play the game he loves once again.

What did Pogba say?

"Seeing the crowd rise and applaud, I never imagined that would happen," Pogba told reporters.

"I'm relieved to be playing football again, the thing I love most in the world.

"But there's still work to do to get back to full fitness and be able to play 90 minutes... If I don't perform well at Monaco, I can forget about the French national team.

"I believe in myself and in my qualities, and since I knew I had done nothing wrong and it was not my fault, I never lost hope."

“Football is NOT over for me.

“I was the one who suffered the most. I was looking forward to it. You have moments when the devil tries to talk in your head to say it's over. But there is a good God, I believe in myself”.

The 32-year-old joined Monaco on a free transfer this summer after his contract at Juventus was rescinded.

His last game before Saturday was in 2023 when he was hit with a four-year doping ban.

His suspension was reduced to 18 months, leading to him joining Monaco.

Despite keeping himself fit in Miami during his absence, the Ligue 1 club made it clear to him that it would take at least three months before he would be match-ready again.

Pogba had hoped to have played by now but has suffered some physical problems which delayed his comeback.

After getting his first minutes against Rennes, Pogba will be hoping to play some more in midweek as Monaco travel to Cyprus to face Pafos in the Champions League. The following weekend, they will host PSG.

Pogba was congratulated for his comeback on social media by a number of his former teammates, including Kylian Mbappe and Bruno Fernandes.

At his peak, Pogba was regarded as one of the best players in the world - earning a world record transfer from Juventus to Man Utd in 2016.

In recent years - as well as his doping ban - he has increasingly suffered from injuries but he will be hoping to rebuild his career at Monaco.

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