“Pogback. Daghe Munegu!” Translating to ‘let’s go Monaco’ in Monegasque lingo, Kylian Mbappé’s social media message congratulating Paul Pogba on his return to football felt like a true passing of the torch.
Sourcing back to where that proverbial torch was lit, French football’s renaissance into the limelight can be traced to several pivotal moments over the past 15 years. The first was Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) acquiring a controlling 87.5% stake in Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2011. This takeover marked the beginning of a new era, not just for PSG but for French football.
Next came the remarkable success of clubs like AS Monaco and Lille. They disrupted PSG’s dominance by capturing Ligue 1 titles. Speaking to Monaco, Pogba reiterated this as a source of hope to disrupt the norm. “It’s a very interesting league, home to the best talent, and I’m very happy to be a part of it to try to raise the level even higher.” These achievements in 2017 and 2021 came despite the financial muscle of PSG, crafting the best of underdog narratives against oil-backed giants.
The meteoric rise of Mbappé himself formed another key chapter in French football’s history. He rose through the youth ranks at AS Monaco before becoming a global superstar at PSG. The striker reportedly earned £1.1 million a week on his final contract. Mbappé’s journey elevated French football to a new high when the national team won the 2018 World Cup.
The arrivals of Neymar Jr and later Lionel Messi further boosted Ligue 1’s global profile, drawing increased attention and viewership. However, there is an argument that PSG’s failure to fully capitalise on this golden era contributed to a cooling of eyes on the product. This came particularly after the last of the trio, Mbappé, left for Real Madrid last summer.
Ligue 1’s superstar drought
The 2024/25 season exposed Ligue 1’s vulnerability for its lack of star power. For the first time since 2016, the league lacked a major global superstar. Ironically, this drought came just as PSG claimed their first ever Champions League trophy under the guidance of Luis Enrique. Yet, the absence of household names had lasting consequences off the pitch.
Most notably, DAZN’s €400 million for Ligue 1’s primary broadcasting rights fell dramatically short of the league’s ambition to reach €1 billion annually. In response, Ligue 1 clubs voted to terminate their deal with DAZN early and take back control of broadcasting revenues.
Ahead of the 2025/26 season, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) launched its own streaming platform, Ligue 1+, offering subscribers eight live games per week for €14.99 a month. Traditional broadcasters have so far declined to purchase the TV rights outright, leading to the remaining games being spread across various smaller channels.
Adding to the uncertainty was the saga surrounding Olympique Lyonnais’ relegation to Ligue 2. Despite months of warning, it was a surprise given Lyon’s stature and historical dominance of French football between 2000 and 2008. Fortunately for the league, Lyon won their appeal, with the DNCG (French football’s own financial watchdog) overturning the decision. The club released a statement welcoming the ruling, but truthfully, the Ligue 1 hierarchy will have breathed the biggest sigh of relief.
Pogback to the future
All of these factors have left Ligue 1 in a vulnerable landscape, in the same realm as the English Premier League securing £6.7 billion in 2023 for their TV rights. Against this backdrop, Paul Pogba’s return to French football is a timely boost to the league’s star power and appeal. Vincent Labrune, LFP’s president said as much in a statement upon Pogba’s signing: “Ligue 1 McDonald’s will benefit not only from his talent and his charisma, but also from his international standing.”
The harsh reality of football’s cyclical nature no longer sees Pogba tagged with the ‘most expensive player’ label that he carried at Manchester United. Such a tag may have been a burden at the time but came with it a brand that could move mountains in the world of football. From his sibling kidnapping to hyenas to a doping ban, the Frenchman has had a tumultuous time off the pitch in the last few years. Pogba has spent much of his time rehabilitating back to fitness in America since the end of his expulsion from football in March.
AS Monaco have been clear they don’t expect the former Juventus player to return immediately. Pogba admitted: “I definitely want to get back on the pitch, but I can’t be in too much of a hurry.” The club has designed a carefully tailored programme with a gradual return planned around October. Pogba has expressed a patient attitude: “I definitely want to get back on the pitch, but I can’t be in too much of a hurry… I’m here first and foremost to help the team, but I won’t be able to do it at 50%!” His last full 90-minute match was in March 2022 when he was still playing for Manchester United, and his stop-start return at Juventus ended with a 29-minute cameo against Empoli in September 2022.
Pogba’s cautious approach suits Monaco’s long-term plans and reflects the physical and mental demands of returning to top-level competition. “AS Monaco has put in place a very specific and individualised program for me. Then, it’s my body, the physical and the mental, which will decide if I’m ready to resume training and competition at a high level, because that’s what’s important,” said Pogba.
Monaco can afford to wait for ‘100%’ Pogba
Under Adolf Hütter, Monaco finished third in Ligue 1 and will compete in the Champions League this season. With a stacked midfield going into the season, the club are not desperate to rush Pogba back – no matter their ambitions. Denis Zakaria has come to his own in France, now wearing the captain’s armband in a deeper role. Lamine Camara continues to develop at a fantastic rate, whilst Soungoutou Magassa and Edan Diop will be looking to get more minutes in the coming season. Aleksandr Golovin, the club’s longest serving player, is a mainstay in Monaco’s midfield.
Ligue 1 officials will discretely be counting on Pogba’s star power to help reignite interest and support the league’s commercial ambitions. If the Frenchman can find elements of his old spark back, the positive effects of this would be felt across the whole league.
Monaco has a favourable start to the Ligue 1 season, with Lille on 24 August being their toughest encounter. It is quite possible that Pogba could debut in time for the derby against OGC Nice on October 5 before a tough set of fixtures in November that will see the club have mid-week Champions League fixtures, and against defending champions PSG at the end of November.
The boy from Lagny-Sur-Marne is intent on making his mark in the home nation that shot him to superstardom. It’s time to pay back those dues, with a pinch of appreciation and a spoonful of determination to be the ‘old’ Paul Pogba that so many of us fell in love with over the years: “It’s a good challenge for me too, and you’ll see a determined Paul!”
