Paul Pogba’s doping ban has been significantly reduced from four years to 18 months following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This decision allows the celebrated midfielder to return to professional soccer in March 2025.
The ruling comes as a relief for the former World Cup champion, who expressed his disappointment with the initial verdict. While he refrained from making a public statement immediately after the ruling, he shared a mysterious image on Instagram featuring a pair of soccer boots and socks adorned with the initials “PP.”
Pogba faced a positive testosterone test in August of last year, leading to a maximum sanction from Italy’s anti-doping court. He had previously described the original verdict as “incorrect” and sought justice through the Switzerland-based CAS.
In a heartfelt statement, he conveyed, “I am sad, shocked, and heartbroken that everything I have built in my professional playing career has been taken away from me.” His words reflect the emotional toll this situation has taken on his career.
Under the world anti-doping code, four-year bans are standard; however, reductions can occur if an athlete can demonstrate that the doping was unintentional, the positive result was due to contamination, or they provide significant assistance to investigations.
At 31, Pogba made headlines in 2016 as the world’s most expensive soccer player when he transferred from Juventus to Manchester United for a staggering fee of €105 million (approximately $113 million). His career highlights include playing a pivotal role in France’s World Cup victory in 2018.
After returning to Juventus as a free agent in 2022, injuries marred his performance, limiting him to just eight Serie A appearances before the doping ban was imposed.
The suspension was announced in September last year, leaving fans and analysts alike to speculate about the future of this talented player.
