Paul Pogba's emotion as he signed his contract with AS Monaco

After two days of medicals, Paul Pogba officially became a Monegasque player late Saturday. The 2018 world champion, 32, signed a two-year contract, running until June 2027, with the ambition of relaunching his career.

While his last match dates back to September 3, 2023 with Juventus Turin, the international midfielder (91 caps) will try to rediscover the pleasure and the game. In an ideal world, he would also like to reconnect with the French team with a view to the 2026 World Cup. He has not worn his jersey since March 2022, between injuries, an eighteen-month suspension for doping and an attempted extortion he suffered from childhood friends and his brother Mathias.

"A rebirth"

In a short video announcing his arrival, "La Pioche" evokes "a rebirth" . And after more than two years of struggle, he was inevitably overcome with emotion as he signed his contract this afternoon.

In the offices of the Louis-II, "La Pioche" couldn't hold back a few tears. A touching moment immortalized by ASM on its social networks. At his side, General Manager Thiago Scuro also appeared moved. "It's beautiful to see, my friend," the Brazilian breathed. "Take your time. This is a special moment for you, it is also for us. This is the first step, Paul. We look ahead and get to work."

He has already met his future teammates

In the morning, the former Turin player had already visited the La Turbie Performance Center. This was an opportunity to meet some of his future teammates for the first time, who returned to work this Saturday. In total, thirteen Monegasques returned to training.

Pogba, meanwhile, is expected to return to training on Wednesday, along with the internationals. But it will likely be a while before he breaks into his number 8. Internally, they have no intention of putting the cart before the horse for a player whose physical condition remains a question mark. We'll have to wait until his presentation, likely mid-next week, to get the first clues about his return to action.

Depending on his fitness, Pogba could play his first official match with the Principality club on the first day of Ligue 1, the weekend of August 15. It will be against Le Havre, his training club, which he left at 16 to join Manchester United without having experienced the French championship.

In the meantime, the native of Lagny-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne) will become the 55th world champion to play in the elite. On social media, some of his new teammates have made no secret of their joy at being with him, starting with captain Denis Zakaria.