Paul Pogba made his long-awaited return to professional football on Saturday, coming off the bench late in Monaco’s 4-1 loss to Rennes.
The 32-year-old French midfielder was introduced in the 85th minute at Roazhon Park, with his side already four goals down and reduced to 10 men following captain Denis Zakaria’s red card.
The 2018 World Cup winner joined Monaco last summer after the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced his four-year doping suspension to 19 months.
Pogba, who became emotional upon signing, had not played a competitive match for 811 days—his last appearance coming for Juventus against Empoli on 3 September 2023.
He left the Italian club by mutual consent in November 2024.
Pogba was initially handed a four-year ban after testing positive for the substance DHEA in August 2023, but he consistently maintained that he had unknowingly taken a contaminated supplement.
The ban was officially shortened in March, allowing him to resume his career.
From the bench, Pogba watched Rennes take full control through goals from Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, Mahdi Camara, Breel Embolo and Ludovic Blas.
Substitute Mika Biereth grabbed a late consolation for Monaco in added time, but the defeat—Monaco’s second straight by a 4-1 scoreline—sees Sebastien Pocognoli’s side slip to eighth in Ligue 1 with 20 points from 13 matches.
