Paul Pogba: Free Agent After Doping Ban, Net Worth, Career Timeline 2026
Few football careers have swung between such extremes as Paul Pogba’s. The 33-year-old World Cup winner is a free agent again — this time after AS Monaco terminated his contract in August 2026, months after his doping ban was cut to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Current status: Free agent after Monaco contract termination · Last club: AS Monaco · World Cup titles: 1 (2018) · Date of birth: 15 March 1993 (age 33) · Position: Central midfielder
Quick snapshot
- Pogba is a free agent after AS Monaco terminated his contract in August 2026 (BBC Sport — UK public broadcaster)
- The Court of Arbitration for Sport cut his doping ban from four years to 18 months in October 2024 (AP News — US wire service)
- He became eligible to play competitive football again in March 2025 (Morgan Lewis — law firm on the CAS appeal)
- Which club Pogba joins next — no destination has been confirmed since the Monaco exit (Al Jazeera — international news outlet)
- His exact net worth, which is not publicly disclosed (Al Jazeera — international news outlet)
- Whether his endorsement deals will return to their pre-ban level (Al Jazeera — international news outlet)
- Positive doping test after a Serie A match against Udinese, August 2023 (BBC Sport)
- CAS backdated his ineligibility to 11 September 2023 (Morgan Lewis) (BBC Sport)
- Juventus contract ended by mutual agreement on 30 November 2024 (ESPN — sports broadcaster)
- Pogba is free to negotiate with any club as a free agent (BBC Sport) (GOAL — football media site)
- He was reportedly training in Miami ahead of his March 2025 return (GOAL — football media site)
- The market’s response to him remains an open question (Al Jazeera) (GOAL — football media site)
Eight data points define Pogba’s situation now, and one pattern runs through all of it: everything traces back to the doping ban and its aftermath.
| Full name | Paul Labile Pogba |
| Date of birth | 15 March 1993 (age 33) |
| Place of birth | Lagny-sur-Marne, France |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Position | Central midfielder |
| Last club | AS Monaco (contract terminated August 2026) |
| Current status | Free agent; 18-month doping ban served, eligible since March 2025 |
| Instagram followers | 64 million |
Which club is Paul Pogba now?
Paul Pogba is a free agent. He has been since late August 2026, when AS Monaco terminated his contract (ESPN — sports broadcaster).
Why is Paul Pogba a free agent?
- AS Monaco ended his contract early in August 2026, leaving him without a club (ESPN)
- BBC confirmed in September 2026 that the termination had already taken effect (BBC Sport)
- His previous contract at Juventus ended by mutual agreement in November 2024 (ESPN)
Pogba’s route to free agency runs through two clubs, not one. He left Juventus while still serving the ban, then joined Monaco once eligible, and was out of a contract again barely a season later.
Did Paul Pogba leave Monaco permanently?
- ESPN reported the exit as a contract termination rather than a loan or temporary arrangement (ESPN)
- Al Jazeera’s September 2026 roundup still listed Pogba among football’s high-profile free agents (Al Jazeera)
The pattern: two exits in under two years, both tied to the same doping case. What this means: Pogba’s next move will be his third club since the 2023 positive test.
What happened to Paul Pogba?
Start with the test, then trace the fallout. Pogba’s last three years compress into one sentence: a positive test, a four-year ban, a successful appeal, and two contract terminations.
What was Paul Pogba’s doping ban?
- Pogba tested positive after Juventus’s Serie A match against Udinese in August 2023 (BBC Sport)
- Italy’s anti-doping tribunal confirmed a four-year suspension in February 2024, backdated to 20 August 2023 (BBC Sport)
- In October 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the ban to 18 months (AP News)
- CAS backdated the ineligibility period to 11 September 2023 (Morgan Lewis)
Had the original four-year ban stood, Pogba would have been sidelined until 2027. The CAS reduction brought his return forward by more than two years, clearing him to train with a club from January 2025 and to play again from March 2025 (Morgan Lewis).
How did the doping ban affect his career?
- Juventus and Pogba mutually agreed to terminate his contract, effective 30 November 2024 — a deal that had been due to run until June 2026 (ESPN)
- Pogba signed with AS Monaco in 2025 after the ban ended (ESPN)
- Monaco ended that contract early in August 2026 (BBC Sport)
Pogba went from the Premier League’s biggest contract to two early exits in 21 months. The doping case did not just pause his career — it restructured it.
The pattern: the doping case reshaped his career and contract trajectory, turning a world-record signing into a free agent with a fractured timeline.
When can Pogba play again?
The short answer is that Pogba is already eligible to play. The longer answer is that eligibility and opportunity are not the same thing.
How long was Pogba’s suspension?
- Original ban: four years, backdated to 20 August 2023 (BBC Sport)
- Reduced by CAS to 18 months in October 2024 (AP News)
- CAS backdated the ineligibility period to 11 September 2023 (Morgan Lewis)
- Result: eligible to train with a club from January 2025 and to play competitive matches from March 2025 (Morgan Lewis)
What are Pogba’s next career steps?
- He joined Monaco in 2025 after the ban (ESPN)
- As of September 2026, he is a free agent weighing his next move (BBC Sport)
- He was reportedly training in Miami ahead of his March 2025 return (GOAL)
Clubs can sign a World Cup-winning midfielder at zero transfer cost, but they also get a 33-year-old with two curtailed contracts in two years. Short deals with appearance bonuses are the likely shape of any offer.
The implication: his next contract will test whether clubs see value in a once‑great player who needs to prove match fitness first.
What is Paul Pogba’s net worth?
There is no official figure for Pogba’s net worth, and public estimates vary. The sharper question is trajectory — and it points in one direction.
Is Paul Pogba still a millionaire?
- Pogba’s wealth was built on a career that included a then-world-record return to Manchester United in 2016 and a second Juventus spell from 2022 (ESPN)
- His Monaco contract reflected a reduced market value after the ban, a step down from his peak earnings (ESPN)
- His exact net worth is not public, and estimates differ from one outlet to another
Millionaire? Almost certainly, based on the contracts and endorsements accumulated across more than a decade at the top. But net worth is a snapshot, and Pogba’s snapshot has been shrinking since 2024.
How did the ban affect Pogba’s income?
- Juventus ended his contract in November 2024, well before its June 2026 expiry — removing his main salary (ESPN)
- Monaco terminated his contract in August 2026 (BBC Sport)
- Al Jazeera placed Pogba in a group of high-profile free agents — including Benzema, Sancho, and Sterling — facing a crowded market (Al Jazeera)
Pogba still carries superstar status, but the mechanics of his income have changed. Free agents don’t generate transfer fees, and that shifts negotiating power to the buying club.
The catch: his next move will determine whether he can rebuild his market value or accept a permanent decline in earnings.
How old is Paul Pogba and what are his career stats?
Pogba turned 33 in March 2026 — the birthday puts a clock on any comeback. The career record behind him: a World Cup, four Serie A titles, and senior spells at three clubs.
What are Paul Pogba’s key career statistics?
- Senior club career: 233 appearances, 39 goals, and 51 assists (ESPN)
- International peak: World Cup winner with France in 2018 (BBC Sport)
- Honours: four Serie A titles with Juventus and an EFL Cup at Manchester United (ESPN)
What teams has Pogba played for?
- Senior clubs: Manchester United (two spells), Juventus (two spells), and AS Monaco (ESPN)
- Peak transfer: returned to Manchester United in 2016 for a then-world-record fee (ESPN)
- Latest chapter: joined Monaco in 2025; contract terminated in August 2026 (ESPN)
Who is Paul Pogba’s wife and what is his religion?
- Pogba is a practicing Muslim
- He has children with his partner and keeps family life largely out of the public eye
The personal details are part of the public profile any new club will have already reviewed. They matter less than his fitness and availability right now.
The pattern: a decorated career that peaked between 2016 and 2018, followed by a slow unraveling. What this means: the next club won’t be signing the 2018 version of Pogba — it will be betting on the 2026 one.
Paul Pogba’s career timeline: 2023-2026
The headline events of the past three years tell the story more cleanly than any single paragraph:
- — Positive doping test after a Serie A match against Udinese (BBC Sport)
- — Italian anti-doping tribunal confirms a four-year ban (BBC Sport)
- — CAS reduces the ban to 18 months, backdated to 11 September 2023 (AP News; Morgan Lewis)
- — Juventus contract terminated by mutual agreement (ESPN)
- — Eligible to return to training with a club (Morgan Lewis)
- — Eligible to play competitive matches again (AP News)
- — Signs with AS Monaco (ESPN)
- — AS Monaco terminates his contract (ESPN; BBC Sport)
- — Confirmed as a free agent (BBC Sport; Al Jazeera)
The pattern: every turning point since 2023 has been reactive — a test, a ban, an appeal, two exits. What this means: the next stage depends on a club making the first proactive move.
What’s confirmed and what’s still unclear about Pogba
Separating the established record from the open questions matters more than ever for a free agent, because clubs signing him must price both.
Confirmed facts
- Pogba is a free agent after AS Monaco terminated his contract in August 2026 (BBC Sport)
- His doping ban was reduced from four years to 18 months by CAS in October 2024 (AP News)
- He served the reduced ban and became eligible to play again in March 2025 (Morgan Lewis)
What’s unclear
- Which club Pogba joins next — no suitor has been confirmed (Al Jazeera)
- His exact net worth, which is not publicly disclosed
- Whether endorsement income returns to pre-ban levels
- Why Monaco ended the contract early; neither side gave a detailed public explanation (ESPN)
The balance of evidence: the case is settled, but the consequences are not. Pogba’s future value — as a player and as a brand — is the real open question.
The key moments, as reported
Three excerpts capture the arc of Pogba’s fall and the uncertainty that followed:
The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced Paul Pogba’s doping suspension from four years to 18 months, clearing him to restart his professional career in March 2025.
Juventus and Paul Pogba mutually agreed to terminate his contract, with the agreement taking effect on 30 November 2024.
ESPN
Benzema, Pogba, Sancho and Sterling — what now for football’s free agents?
Al Jazeera
What this means: the official record is consistent — each exit was mutual or club-initiated — even if the reasoning behind each one remains partial.
Where Paul Pogba goes from here
For a player who once held a world-record transfer fee, the road back is now about fit, not fame. Pogba needs a club that can give him consistent minutes in a midfield that rewards what he still does well — and that club will drive a hard bargain, because everyone knows his leverage is limited. For Pogba, the next contract is the whole game: sign a sensible deal that gets him back on the pitch quickly, or watch the final chapters of a World Cup-winning career shrink into occasional appearances.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paul Pogba still banned from football?
No. His four-year ban was reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in October 2024, and he became eligible to play again in March 2025 (AP News; Morgan Lewis).
Can Paul Pogba play in the 2026-2027 season?
Yes. Pogba is eligible to play and, as of September 2026, was a free agent looking for a club (BBC Sport).
Why did Monaco terminate Paul Pogba’s contract?
AS Monaco ended his contract early in August 2026. Neither the club nor the player issued a detailed public explanation at the time (ESPN).
How much money did Paul Pogba make at Manchester United?
During his second spell at Manchester United, media reports described Pogba as the Premier League’s highest-paid player. His later contracts at Juventus and Monaco reflected a very different market (GOAL).
Was Paul Pogba’s doping ban reduced?
Yes. The Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced the ban from four years to 18 months in October 2024 (AP News).
Does Paul Pogba still earn money from endorsements?
There is no public confirmation. The doping ban and two contract terminations reduced his overall earning capacity, but specific endorsement deals are not disclosed.
Will Paul Pogba retire after his ban?
No. As of September 2026, Pogba was a free agent and had given no indication of retiring (BBC Sport).
Which clubs are interested in signing Paul Pogba?
No club has been confirmed. Al Jazeera’s September 2026 roundup placed Pogba among high-profile free agents still deciding their next move (Al Jazeera).
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