For the first time in over four years, Paul Pogba has found the back of the net. While the world was watching the international break unfold, the 33-year-old Frenchman was quietly making a massive statement at Monaco’s training ground. In a specially arranged friendly against Brentford’s Under-23s on Thursday, Pogba didn’t just score—he reminded everyone why he was once the most expensive player on the planet.
It was a vintage “Pogboom” moment. Stepping up from the edge of the box, he unleashed a thunderous, low right-footed strike that rattled the post before settling in the back of the net. Even in a training-ground setting, the celebration from his teammates told the story: this was a psychological breakthrough.
The Long Road Back
To say it’s been a tough few years for Pogba is an understatement. Between the 18-month doping ban (originally four years) and a nightmare run of injuries since joining Monaco on a free transfer last summer, many had written him off as “finished.”
Before this friendly, Pogba had managed only about 30 minutes of competitive action for Monaco before a persistent calf injury sidelined him in December. This goal marks his first strike in any capacity since his days at Manchester United, and more importantly, it proves his body might finally be catching up to his ambition.
Can He Make the World Cup?
The timing of this goal isn’t a coincidence. With the 2026 World Cup just months away, Pogba has never hidden his desire to force his way back into Didier Deschamps’ France squad.
Monaco coach Sébastien Pocognoli has been cautious, using these friendlies to build Pogba’s “match engine” rather than rushing him back into Ligue 1’s physical meat-grinder. However, with a massive clash against Marseille looming on April 5, the “Lions of the Rock” might finally be ready to unleash their secret weapon for the season’s final stretch.
Monaco currently sits just three points off a Champions League spot. If a fit and firing Pogba can translate this friendly form into Ligue 1 points, that 16-year absence from the French national team might just end with a seat on the plane to North America.
