Paul Pogba admitted his upcoming performances for Monaco will determine if he can return to the France national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The former Manchester United midfielder played his first football match in 26 months on Saturday, logging five minutes plus stoppage time in Monaco’s 4–1 defeat to Rennes. Pogba completed 14 of 15 passes and won 100% of his duels in the Ligue 1 clash, spraying the ball around from the base of midfield while the outcome had long since been decided.
The brief cameo marked a grand return to the pitch for the Frenchman, who was handed a four-year doping ban in 2023 after testing positive for DHEA, a banned substance that raises testosterone levels. Pogba’s sentence was later reduced to 18 months, but injury struggles kept him on the sidelines until November 2025.
After 811 days, Paul Pogba is back. pic.twitter.com/rVOrA8zR7T
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) November 23, 2025
Now that the 32-year-old made his long-awaited comeback, the question on everyone’s minds is if he will feature at next summer’s World Cup. Pogba, though, revealed he is not close to playing a full 90-minute match, let alone a return for Les Blues just yet.
“I’m very far from it,“ he said of lasting the duration. “I’m focused on getting my fitness back to help the team. If I don’t perform well at Monaco, I’ll have to forget about the French national team.“
Pogba will look to help Monaco snap their two-game losing streak with a Champions League clash against Pafos on Wednesday. The French outfit then go up against reigning domestic and European champions Paris Saint-Germain at the weekend.
France Eye World Cup Redemption
France are one of the favorites to win the 2026 World Cup, alongside Spain and Argentina. Didier Deschamps’s men would love nothing more than to take back their crown after coming up short in a penalty shootout against La Albiceleste in the 2022 World Cup final.
Pogba did not feature in Qatar for Les Bleus due to a knee injury. If he misses out again next summer, it is likely the midfielder played his last World Cup match for France when he helped his country win the tournament in 2018.
His winner in the 59th minute against Croatia brought home Les Bleus’ second World Cup title. Four years later, he could do nothing but watch as Lionel Messi led Argentina to glory at France’s expense.
Even without Pogba, Deschamps will have faith in Real Madrid duo Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga, as well as Manu Koné and even possibly N’Golo Kanté, to anchor his midfield in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Paul Pogba Rates Chances of Playing With France at 2026 World Cup.
