Paul Pogba doping ban explained: Career damage and family impact

Paul Pogba's football career, once defined by flair, talent, and a World Cup triumph, has been derailed by a series of devastating events. The most recent and arguably most significant setback came in the form of a doping ban, a verdict that sent shockwaves through the football world.

The ban, a result of a positive test for a banned substance, has not only cast a dark cloud over his professional future but has also intersected with his complex family life, making for one of the most tragic stories in modern football.

The saga began in August 2023, following Juventus's Serie A opener against Udinese. Despite being an unused substitute, Pogba was randomly selected for a drug test. The results of both his A and B samples returned positive for DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), a substance that can raise testosterone levels in the body. While DHEA is a naturally occurring hormone, it is also a WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) banned substance due to its anabolic properties.

In February 2024, Italy's national anti-doping tribunal (NADO Italia) handed down a four-year suspension, the maximum penalty under WADA rules. This verdict was met with a strong reaction from Pogba, who expressed his shock and heartbreak, maintaining his innocence and asserting that he had never knowingly or deliberately taken any banned substances.

He explained that the positive test was the result of a supplement prescribed to him by a doctor in Florida, which he took unknowingly. Pogba appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In October 2024, CAS ruled to reduce the ban to 18 months, accepting his argument that the failed test was not intentional. The reduction was a moment of bittersweet relief, allowing him to become eligible to play again in March 2025.

The doping ban, even in its reduced form, has inflicted severe damage on a career already plagued by injury and off-field issues. Paul Pogba, a player once considered a candidate for the Ballon d'Or, had already endured a torrid second spell at Juventus after returning in 2022. He made only a handful of appearances due to a serious knee injury that also ruled him out of the 2022 World Cup.

The four-year ban initially meant he wouldn't be able to play again until he was nearly 35, effectively signaling the end of his top-flight career. Juventus, his club, terminated his contract in November 2024, despite the ban's reduction.

This decision was a testament to the lack of trust and the club's desire to move on from a player who had contributed so little since his return. At 32 years old, Pogba’s future in the game remains uncertain, though he has now found a new home with AS Monaco, hoping to revive his career and prove his worth. However, the years lost and the trust broken will be difficult to regain.

The doping scandal did not happen in a vacuum; it unfolded against the backdrop of a deeply personal and public family conflict. In 2022, Pogba became the victim of an alleged extortion and kidnapping plot involving close friends and, most shockingly, his older brother, Mathias.

Mathias Pogba, a footballer himself, had been a vocal accuser of his brother on social media, making sensational claims about witchcraft and other personal matters.

These accusations and threats formed a legal case that ran parallel to the doping investigation. In December 2024, Mathias was sentenced to a three-year prison term, with two years suspended, after being found guilty of attempted extortion.

The legal turmoil with his family, which had caused immense psychological distress, was compounded by the professional setback of his ban. Recently, however, Paul has hinted at a reconciliation, posting a photo with both his brothers on social media with a caption expressing his love for them.

The public family feud that initially overshadowed his on-pitch struggles seems to be healing, offering a glimmer of hope that Pogba can find peace and focus on rebuilding his life and career, one step at a time.

The hope is that his move to Monaco offers a new lease of life to the troubled star.