Paul Pogba, a midfielder for Juventus, expressed his excitement to play football again after his four-year doping penalty was shortened to just 18 months. He also mentioned his goal of representing France in the 2026 World Cup.
The 31-year-old’s punishment was reduced earlier this month by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). In September 2023, the National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO Italia) in Italy temporarily suspended him after he tested positive for the prohibited drug DHEA, which raises testosterone levels.
Pogba will be able to play for Juventus again in March after appealing to CAS on the grounds that his consumption of DHEA was not deliberate. He claimed to be stronger, wiser, and even prepared to accept a salary decrease in order to play for the Italian team.
“In 2025, I’m prepared to get back to normal. I want to play football, that’s all. The truth is that I am a player for Juventus, and I’m getting ready to play for them,” Pogba stated to the Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport on Wednesday.
“I need not say a word; the pitch will speak for itself, and [coach] Thiago Motta will make his own assessment based on what he observes. To play for Juventus once more, I’m willing to forfeit even money. The athlete, who is under contract with Juventus until June 2026, continued, “I want to come back.”
After his final Juventus game, a 2-0 victory over Empoli over a year ago, Pogba remarked that receiving the original suspension was the hardest thing he had ever had to deal with in his career.
“It was an extremely challenging year, and the thing that hurt the most was having to take my kids to school every day outside of the stadium and Juventus’ training facility in Continassa, without being able to enter to train or play for the team.
“I’ve always had the support of many teammates, both current and former. Every other day, I received a call from [Juan] Cuadrado, who always made me chuckle.
In addition to returning to his best for the Serie A team, Pogba stated that he hopes to rejoin Didier Deschamps’ France team in time for the 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
