Paul Pogba watches France vs Belgium Euro 2024 ban from football

Paul Pogba makes rare appearance at Euro 2024, serving four-year ban for banned substance, remains hopeful for return to football.

Paul Pogba, the former Manchester United midfielder, made a rare appearance as he attended his former France teammates' Euro 2024 last-16 match against Belgium on Monday. Pogba is currently serving a four-year ban from football after testing positive for a banned substance, Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), almost 11 months ago following a Serie A match with Juventus.

Despite the ban, Pogba plans to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in hopes of overturning the suspension. The ban was confirmed in February after a counter-analysis also came back positive. Despite the suspension, Pogba was invited by the France Football Federation to attend the Euro 2024 match against Belgium and received a warm reception from fans.

France head coach, Didier Deschamps, spoke highly of Pogba, emphasizing his importance to the team during their World Cup-winning campaign in 2018. Deschamps expressed his belief that Pogba did not knowingly engage in doping and hopes for his return to the pitch after the appeal process.

Pogba himself expressed confidence in France's chances at Euro 2024, highlighting the team's quality and determination. He emphasized the importance of the match against Belgium and the competitive nature of the tournament, stating that there are no easy matches in such a prestigious competition.

In other Euro 2024 news, Ian Wright praised England players for their performances, while Granit Xhaka faced an injury scare ahead of Switzerland's match against England.