Paul Pogba, 2018 FIFA World Cup Winner, Gets Four-Year Ban From Football For Doping

New Delhi: 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, Paul Pogba, has been handed a four-year ban on Thursday after the French star footballer failed a drugs test last August, possibly drawing curtains to his playing career. The former Manchester United star tested positive for testosterone while playing for Italian Serie A side Juventus’ opening game of the season against Udinese. According to La Repubblica, the 30-year-old was handed a hefty punishment by an anti-doping prosecutor’s office in Italy.

However, Pogba’s lawyers in defence stated that their client accidentally ingested the banned substance in an attempt to lighten the sentence. But the prosecution didn’t believe. The Frenchman will turn 31 next month and by the time the ban ends, he will be almost 35.

For the unknown, Pogba, who came up through Manchester United academy during his initial days, returned to his boyhood club in 2016 as the then-most expensive player with the owners playing Juventus 89m euros for his services. He had also scored in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final against Croatia in Russia. Pogba returned to Juventus for the second time in 2022 from Old Trafford on a free transfer with an aim to resurrect his career.

However, his first season at Juventus didn’t go as planned as Pogba missed majority of the season due to injury. He didn’t start in Juventus’ playing XI in their 2023-24 Serie A opener against Udinese and also wasn’t used as a substitute in a 3-0 win. After his A-sample came positive, Pogba requested for his B-sample to be tested but that too came positive. As a result, Juventus had to terminate his contract with immediate effect.

Pogba’s ban starts from the time when he tested positive. In that case, he will have to stay out of football till August 2027. He will be 34 that time.