Paul Pogba picked up a left thigh injury in a small-sided training game on Tuesday. That's it. That's the whole story. AS Monaco had already decided they were done with him — the injury just confirmed what everyone at the club already knew.
Per Nice Matin, Monaco informed the 33-year-old several weeks ago that they intended to terminate his contract and gave him permission to look elsewhere. A financial settlement covering the remainder of his salary — the deal ran until next summer — is being negotiated. Six appearances in his only full season. Forty-five minutes of pre-season football before a right knee problem shut him down. Then a return to full training last Friday, gone again by Tuesday.
MLS is now the realistic next call
According to the Daily Mail, Pogba has already been offered to Major League Soccer clubs. That's the landing spot that makes sense now — not because MLS is a bad league, but because it's a league that can absorb uncertainty. A player who can't get through a training week without breaking down is a gamble no serious European club is going to take at this point.
Pogba joined Monaco in June 2025 on a two-year deal, roughly a year after his doping ban was reduced on appeal. The move was framed as a reset — lower profile, patient environment, a path back to relevance. Monaco gave him the runway. His body didn't cooperate.
He was once genuinely one of the most recognisable footballers on the planet. World Cup winner. Record signing. The player who made Juventus and United shell out transfer fees that reshaped the market. None of that is who he is right now. He's a 33-year-old who couldn't last a week in training.
The MRI results on his thigh will determine what comes next physically. But professionally, Monaco's decision is already made. Another comeback is theoretically possible. So far, every theory has collapsed on contact with reality.
