Paul Pogba facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Paul Pogba

Pogba at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival
Personal information
Full name	Paul Labile Pogba
Date of birth	(1993-03-15) 15 March 1993 (age 32)
Place of birth	Lagny-sur-Marne, France
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Monaco
Number	8
Youth career
1999–2006	Roissy-en-Brie
2006–2007	Torcy
2007–2009	Le Havre
2009–2011	Manchester United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2011–2012	Manchester United	3	(0)
2012–2016	Juventus	124	(28)
2016–2022	Manchester United	154	(29)
2022–2024	Juventus	8	(0)
2025–	Monaco	0	(0)
International career
2008–2009	France U16	17	(1)
2010	France U17	10	(2)
2010–2011	France U18	6	(1)
2011–2012	France U19	12	(4)
2012–2013	France U20	13	(4)
2013–2022	France	91	(11)
Medal record Men's football Representing  France FIFA World Cup Winner 2018 Russia UEFA Nations League Winner 2021 Italy UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2016 France FIFA U-20 World Cup Winner 2013 Turkey
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:03, 19 September 2023 (UTC)

Paul Labile Pogba (born 15 March 1993) is a French professional footballer. He plays as a central midfielder for Ligue 1 club Monaco.

Born in Lagny-sur-Marne, France, Pogba started his youth career at Le Havre in 2007. Two years later, he joined Manchester United. After playing a few games for Manchester United, he moved to Italian club Juventus in 2012. There, he helped Juventus win four Serie A titles in a row. He also won two Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. During his time in Italy, Pogba became known as one of the best young players. He won the Golden Boy award in 2013 and the Bravo Award in 2014. He was also part of the 2015 UEFA Team of the Year.

Pogba returned to Manchester United in 2016 for a world record transfer fee at the time. In his first season back, he won the League Cup and the Europa League. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2018–19 season. He rejoined Juventus in 2022. He left Juventus in 2024 after a ban, which was lifted in March 2025. In June 2025, he signed with Monaco.

For his country, Pogba led France to win the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He was named the Best Player of that tournament. He joined the senior team a year later and played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. There, he was named the 2014 FIFA World Cup awards#Best Young Player. He played for France at UEFA Euro 2016 where they finished second. He then won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, scoring a goal in the final match.

Early Life and Family

Paul Pogba was born in Lagny-sur-Marne, France. His parents are from Guinea. He has two older twin brothers, Florentin Pogba and Mathias Pogba. They were born in Guinea and also play football for the Guinean national team. Florentin played as a defender and Mathias as a forward. When he was a child, Pogba was a fan of Arsenal.

Club Career Highlights

Starting His Football Journey

Pogba started playing football at age six for US Roissy-en-Brie. He played there for seven seasons. Then he joined US Torcy, where he was captain of the under-13 team.

After one season, Pogba moved to the professional club Le Havre. In his second year, he captained their under-16 team. They finished second in their league. Pogba also started playing for France's youth national teams.

Time at Manchester United (First Spell)

Joining Manchester United

On 31 July 2009, Pogba announced he was leaving Le Havre to join the youth academy of Manchester United. This move caused some disagreement between the clubs. Le Havre claimed they had an agreement with Pogba and his family.

Manchester United denied any wrongdoing. FIFA, the world football body, later cleared Manchester United. On 18 June 2010, Le Havre and Manchester United reached a private agreement for Pogba's transfer.

Playing in the Academy

Pogba officially joined Manchester United on 7 October 2009. He played his first game for the under-18 team on 10 October. He scored seven goals in 21 games for the under-18s in the 2009–10 season. In April 2010, he helped the under-18 team win a tournament in Italy.

In November 2010, he moved up to the club's reserve team. He made his debut on 2 November 2010. In February 2011, manager Alex Ferguson promoted Pogba to the first-team squad. He helped the under-18 team win the FA Youth Cup that season.

First Team Appearances (2011–12)

Before the 2011–12 season, Ferguson said Pogba would play with the senior team. Pogba was permanently moved to the reserve team. He made his first senior professional debut on 20 September 2011 in a League Cup match against Leeds United. Manchester United won 3–0.

Pogba played his first Premier League game on 31 January 2012 against Stoke City. He also made his European debut in the UEFA Europa League against Athletic Bilbao.

Success at Juventus

First Season in Italy (2012–13)

On 3 July 2012, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson confirmed Pogba had left the club. He joined Serie A club Juventus on a free transfer. Ferguson said Pogba had not shown respect to Manchester United.

On 27 July, Juventus confirmed Pogba had passed his medical. He signed a four-year contract on 3 August. Pogba's first game for Juventus was on 22 September 2012 against Chievo. He played the full 90 minutes.

He made his first UEFA Champions League appearance on 2 October. On 20 October, Pogba scored his first goal for Juventus in a 2–0 win over Napoli. He was praised for his strong performances.

Winning More Titles (2013–14)

Pogba playing for Juventus in 2013

On 18 August 2013, Pogba helped Juventus win the 2013 Italian Supercoppa. He scored the first goal and was named Man of the Match. In December, Pogba won the Golden Boy award for the best young player in Europe.

In January 2014, The Guardian newspaper named Pogba one of the top ten promising young players in Europe. He scored his first goal in a UEFA club competition on 20 February. Pogba became a key player for Juventus that season. He played 51 games and scored 9 goals. He won his second Serie A title.

Champions League Final (2014–15)

Pogba playing for Juventus in 2014

Under new manager Massimiliano Allegri, Pogba helped Juventus win against Milan on 20 September 2014. He provided an assist for the only goal. On 24 October, Pogba signed a new contract with Juventus until 2019.

On 4 November, in his 100th game for the club, Pogba scored his first Champions League goal. He was named one of the 23 players for the 2014 Ballon d'Or. In 2014, he received the Bravo Award for the best under-23 player in European competitions.

On 11 January 2015, Pogba scored a great goal to help Juventus beat Napoli 3–1. He scored his first Coppa Italia goal on 15 January. On 9 March, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Sassuolo. This put Juventus 11 points ahead in the league.

Pogba got injured in March but returned on 9 May. He scored in a 1–1 draw against Cagliari. Juventus won their fourth Serie A title in a row. On 13 May, Pogba helped Juventus reach the Champions League Final for the first time in 12 years. Juventus lost the final 3–1 to Barcelona.

Becoming a Key Playmaker (2015–16)

For the 2015–16 season, Pogba was given the famous number-10 shirt. This number was previously worn by legends like Alessandro Del Piero. On 8 August, he assisted a goal in Juventus's 2–0 win in the 2015 Supercoppa Italiana.

On 31 October, Pogba played his 100th Serie A game. He scored Juventus's first goal in a 2–1 win. He was named to the 2015 UEFA Team of the Year and the 2015 FIFA FIFPro World XI. Pogba played a key role in Juventus winning the league title. He scored 8 goals and provided 12 assists, which was a personal best.

Return to Manchester United (Second Spell)

Back to Old Trafford (2016–17)

Pogba playing for Manchester United in 2016

On 8 August 2016, Pogba returned to Manchester United. He signed a five-year contract for a record transfer fee of €105 million. He made his first appearance on 19 August in a 2–0 win over Southampton.

He scored his first Premier League goal for United on 24 September against Leicester City. He then scored twice in a Europa League game against Fenerbahçe. In January 2017, Pogba scored in the EFL Cup semi-final.

On 24 May 2017, Pogba scored in the Europa League final against AFC Ajax. This goal helped Manchester United win 2–0, securing their first European trophy in nine years. He played 30 league games, scoring five goals and making four assists.

Challenges and Comebacks (2017–18)

Pogba scored in Manchester United's first game of the 2017–18 Premier League season. He got injured in September but returned on 18 November. He assisted a goal and scored in a 4–1 win over Newcastle United.

In his first game of 2018, Pogba provided two assists in a 2–0 win over Everton. On 7 April, in the Manchester derby, Pogba scored two quick goals. This helped Manchester United come back from 2–0 down to win 3–2 against Manchester City. This win stopped Manchester City from winning the league title against them.

Best Scoring Season (2018–19)

Pogba was made temporary captain at the start of the 2018–19 season. He started well, scoring four goals. However, his relationship with manager José Mourinho became difficult. Mourinho later said Pogba would not captain the team again.

After Mourinho was replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Pogba's form improved greatly. He scored twice against Huddersfield Town and Bournemouth. In January 2019, he assisted a winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur.

Pogba scored two goals in a 3–0 win over Fulham. This brought his total to 11 league goals and 13 in all competitions, a personal best. He also scored in the FA Cup against Chelsea. Despite a tough end to the season for the team, Pogba had his most productive season. He scored 16 goals and made 11 assists. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year.

Injuries and Return (2019–20)

In the summer of 2019, there was talk about Pogba leaving Manchester United. However, he stayed and played in their pre-season games. On 11 August 2019, he provided two assists in a 4–0 win over Chelsea.

Pogba suffered an ankle injury on 31 August, which kept him out for a month. He returned briefly but then had a recurrence of the injury. In January 2020, he had ankle surgery.

He returned to play in May 2020 after the league restarted. On 24 June, he started his first game since September. On 9 July, Pogba scored his first goal of the season in a 3–0 win against Aston Villa.

Final Seasons at United (2020–22)

Pogba after a game with Manchester United in 2021

Pogba scored his first goal of the 2020–21 season on 30 September 2020. On 18 March 2021, he scored the winning goal against Milan in the Europa League. This helped his team reach the quarter-finals.

In the first game of the 2021–22 Premier League season, Pogba made four assists in a 5–1 win over Leeds United. This was a record for a Manchester United player. His only goal of the season came on 8 February 2022. On 1 June 2022, Manchester United announced that Pogba would leave the club when his contract ended.

Return to Juventus: Injuries and Ban

On 11 July 2022, Juventus announced Pogba's return on a four-year contract. Soon after, on 26 July, Pogba injured his knee. This injury required surgery and kept him out of play for a long time. He made his first appearance of the season for Juventus on 28 February 2023.

He faced more injuries and played only a few minutes that season. On 11 September 2023, Pogba was temporarily suspended from playing. This was due to a failed drug test. The ban was confirmed on 6 October 2023. On 29 February 2024, he received a four-year ban. However, on 4 October 2024, the ban was reduced to 18 months. This meant he could start training in January 2025 and play again from March 2025.

On 15 November 2024, Juventus and Pogba agreed to end his contract early, starting 30 November.

Monaco

On 28 June 2025, Pogba signed a contract with Monaco until 30 June 2027.

International Career

Youth Teams

Pogba started playing for France's national youth teams. He was captain of the under-16 team. He made his youth international debut on 23 September 2008 against Wales. France won 4–2. Under Pogba's leadership, the team won the 2009 Aegean Cup.

Pogba with the France national under-19 team at the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship

He played in the 2010 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, scoring two goals. He was made captain again for his age group by new coach Pierre Mankowski. Pogba made his under-18 debut on 27 October 2010. On 24 March 2011, he scored his first goal for the team from far away.

Pogba debuted for the under-19 team on 6 September 2011. He assisted two goals in a 3–1 win. He scored his first goal for the team on 29 February 2012. He helped France qualify for the 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. France reached the semi-finals but lost on penalties.

Because the under-19 team reached the semi-finals, France qualified for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Pogba was captain of the under-20 team. He led the team to win France's first ever FIFA U-20 World Cup. He played almost every minute and was named the best player of the tournament.

Senior National Team

First Appearances and 2014 World Cup

Pogba making his debut for the France national team in 2013

On 22 March 2013, Pogba made his debut for the French senior team. It was a 2014 World Cup qualifier against Georgia, which France won 3–1. He scored his first international goal on 10 September 2013 against Belarus.

On 6 June 2014, Pogba was chosen for France's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In their first match, he was fouled, leading to a penalty and a red card for the opponent. In the round of 16, Pogba scored the first goal as France beat Nigeria 2–0. He was named man of the match. France lost in the quarter-finals to Germany. On 13 July 2014, Pogba was named the tournament's Best Young Player.

Euro 2016 Performance

In May 2016, Pogba was selected for France's squad for UEFA Euro 2016, which was held in France. He faced some criticism early in the tournament. However, in the quarter-final against Iceland on 3 July, Pogba played very well. He scored France's second goal with a header. France won 5–2 and reached the semi-finals.

In the semi-final against Germany, Pogba helped create a goal. France won 2–0 and advanced to the final. They lost the final 1–0 to Portugal in extra time.

Winning the 2018 World Cup

Pogba (right) with his brother Florentin and their mother, holding the World Cup trophy after the 2018 FIFA World Cup final

On 17 May 2018, Pogba was named in the France squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. In France's first match, his shot led to the winning goal against Australia.

In the 2018 FIFA World Cup final, Pogba scored France's third goal against Croatia. France went on to win the World Cup 4–2.

Euro 2020 and Beyond

On 23 June 2021, in France's final group match of UEFA Euro 2020 against Portugal, Pogba assisted a goal in a 2–2 draw. He later scored a great goal from 25 yards in the round-of-16 match against Switzerland. France was knocked out of the tournament on penalties after a 3–3 draw.

Pogba was unable to play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar due to knee surgery.

Style of Play

Pogba playing for Manchester United in 2017

Pogba mainly plays as a central midfielder. He can also play as a deep-lying playmaker or an attacking midfielder. Manchester United described him as a "powerful, skilful, and creative" player. He is known for scoring goals and making amazing plays.

In Italy, he was nicknamed Il Polpo Paul ("Paul the Octopus") because his long legs look like tentacles. He was also called "Pogboom" for his speed and energy. He is a fast, hardworking, and strong player. He is good at heading the ball, passing, and has great vision. He is also known for his powerful shots from far away.

Many people compare him to former France international Patrick Vieira. Pogba is also good at running forward from deeper positions. During his last season with Juventus, he played as an advanced midfielder. This allowed him to have more of the ball and be the team's main playmaker. His performances made him one of the best midfielders in the world.

His former teammate Gianluigi Buffon compared him to French legends Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane. Buffon praised his leadership and hard work. Pogba is also good at taking free kicks and penalty kicks.

Personal Life

Pogba is a practicing Muslim. He married Bolivian model María Zulay Salaues in 2019. They have two children together. Pogba can speak French, English, Italian, and Spanish.

In March 2022, Pogba shared that he had suffered from depression in 2018. This was during his time playing for Manchester United under manager José Mourinho.

Media and Sponsorships

Pogba has a sponsorship deal with the sportswear company Adidas. He appeared in an Adidas 2018 World Cup commercial. Other famous people in the ad included David Beckham, Lionel Messi, and Pharrell Williams.

Pogba's unique goal celebration, 'the Dab', was featured in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series, starting with FIFA 17. Pogba and his brothers, Florentin and Mathias, attended the 2017 MTV Europe Music Awards. Paul presented an award there.

Career Statistics

Club

International

France score listed first, score column indicates score after each Pogba goal

List of international goals scored by Paul Pogba

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	10 September 2013	Central Stadium, Gomel, Belarus	3	Belarus	4–2	4–2	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	27 May 2014	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	9	Norway	1–0	4–0	Friendly
3	30 June 2014	Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha, Brasília, Brazil	15	Nigeria	1–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup
4	7 September 2014	Partizan Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia	18	Serbia	1–0	1–1	Friendly
5	11 October 2014	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	19	Portugal	2–0	2–1	Friendly
6	3 July 2016	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	36	Iceland	2–0	5–2	UEFA Euro 2016
7	10 October 2016	Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands	42	Netherlands	1–0	1–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
8	11 November 2016	Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France	43	Sweden	1–1	2–1	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
9	27 March 2018	Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia	51	Russia	2–0	3–1	Friendly
10	15 July 2018	Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia	60	Croatia	3–1	4–2	2018 FIFA World Cup
11	28 June 2021	Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania	84	Switzerland	3–1	3–3 (aet)	UEFA Euro 2020

Honours and Awards

Juventus

• Serie A: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
• Coppa Italia: 2014–15, 2015–16
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2013, 2015
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2014–15

Manchester United

• UEFA Europa League: 2016–17
• EFL Cup: 2016–17
• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2020–21
• FA Cup runner-up: 2017–18

France U20

• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2013

France

• FIFA World Cup: 2018
• UEFA Nations League: 2020–21
• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2016

Individual Awards

• UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2010
• UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012
• FIFA U-20 World Cup Golden Ball: 2013
• Golden Boy: 2013
• Serie A Team of the Year: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
• FIFA World Cup Young Player Award: 2014
• Bravo Award: 2014
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2015
• FIFA FIFPro World11: 2015
• ESM Team of the Year: 2015–16, 2018–19
• UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2016–17, 2020–21
• UEFA Europa League Player of the Season: 2016–17
• PFA Team of the Year: 2018–19 Premier League

Orders

• Knight of the Legion of Honour: 2018

See also

In Spanish: Paul Pogba para niños