Clubless Paul Pogba sets sights on 2026 World Cup with ‘Les Bleus’

The midfielder will be eligible to play professionally again in March with a series of clubs showing interest in his services.

Paul Pogba has his sights set on playing at the 2026 World Cup with the tournament set to be staged in the United States, Mexico and Canada as the French player was ruled out of the 2022 Qatar World Cup due to injury.

After the reduction in his doping ban and the player now a free agent after he and Juventus parted ways, the 31-year-old is aiming to get back to his best and end his international career with the French national team on a high note.

Pogba fitness mystery

Right now, Pogba’s fitness remains something of a mystery as the last time he played at a top level was on 3 September, 2023 with Juve in a win over Empoli with the central player managing 27 minutes. Since then, injuries have plagued his regularity and his career was subsequently rocked after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) imposed a four-year ban on him after testing positive for dehydroepiandrosterone. Pogba’s sentence was reduced at the beginning of this season to 18 months, which means that he can return to professional activity again in March 2025.

At present, Pogba is training alone with interest in his services coming principally from Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille. The OM president Pablo Longoria and sporting director Medhi Benatia, have both gone on the record saying they would welcome the midfielder to the Stade Velodrome.

Pogba is attracted by the idea of returning to French football and is also keen to to regain Deschamps' trust with the French national team. Despite coming through the Le Havre youth academy, Pogba has never played in the French top flight and his arrival at Marseille would be a massive boost for a competition that has seen an exodus of its high profile stars after Kylian Mbappé‘s departure was confirmed in June.

Apart from Marseille, teams from the Premier League, MLS, Bundesliga and even Serie A are also keeping an eye on Pogba’s situation. The French player was even linked with Manchester City as a potential replacement for the absence caused by Rodri’s ACL injury.

Time will tell where the player ends up but next March will see the Pogba resurrection.