Pogba Returns As Psg Hold Ligue 1 Lead

Paul Pogba’s long road back to professional football finally reached its destination on Saturday as the French midfielder made his first appearance in over two years during Monaco’s 4–1 defeat away to Rennes. The moment carried deep personal significance for the 32-year-old, whose career was derailed by a combination of injuries, a doping suspension, and the high-profile extortion case involving members of his own circle.

Pogba entered the match in the 85th minute and was greeted with warm applause from the Rennes supporters at Roazhon Park. It was an emotional return for a player whose setbacks have dominated headlines since 2022.
Speaking after full-time, Pogba said the comeback felt like a blessing: 

We worked for this moment for over two years. Football isn’t over for me, and stepping back on the field today means everything.

He admitted the crowd’s reaction caught him by surprise, adding that he was grateful for the reception and the respect shown by the fans.

The midfielder’s absence followed a turbulent period. A failed drug test in 2023 brought a four-year ban that was later reduced to 18 months. Juventus, where Pogba was struggling through injuries during his second spell, terminated his contract last November. The player also endured the fallout from an extortion attempt involving his brother, Mathias, who was handed a suspended prison sentence earlier this year.

Monaco offered Pogba a fresh start after his suspension formally ended, easing him back slowly with months of injury management and conditioning work. Coach Sebastien Pocognoli chose to introduce him late in the match, with his team already down by four goals and playing with ten men.

Rennes had taken full control through goals from Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal and Mahdi Camara before Denis Zakaria’s dismissal placed Monaco under even greater pressure. Breel Embolo and Ludovic Blas added two more for the hosts, with Mika Biereth netting a consolation goal after Pogba’s introduction.

Although delighted to return, Pogba made it clear that the result stung: 

It’s great to be back, but I’m a Monaco player and I hate losing. There’s still work to do—getting fit, playing 90 minutes, and helping the team is the real goal.

PSG Stay Top With Comfortable Home Win

Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain continued their march at the top of Ligue 1 with a composed 3–0 victory over Le Havre. Lee Kang-in opened the scoring before João Neves and Bradley Barcola added second-half goals to cap off a dominant showing from Luis Enrique’s side.

The win restored PSG’s two-point cushion at the summit after a brief spell behind Marseille and Lens earlier in the day.

Lens edged Strasbourg 1–0 thanks to an Ismaelo Ganiou strike midway through the second half, in a chaotic match that ended with both teams finishing on ten men. A red card for Strasbourg’s Valentin Barco was followed by a stoppage-time dismissal for Morgan Guilavogui on the Lens side.

Marseille kept pressure on the leaders on Friday night, hammering Nice 5–1. Mason Greenwood stole the headlines with a brace that moved him to the top of the Ligue 1 scoring charts with ten goals.