Paul Pogba has shared an emotional message on social media as the former Manchester United and Juventus midfielder faces another painful setback in his attempts to rebuild his football career.
The 33-year-old’s future at AS Monaco is in serious doubt after the Ligue 1 club reportedly informed his representatives that they are prepared to terminate his contract by mutual consent. Pogba still has time remaining on the two-year deal he signed when he joined Monaco in the summer of 2025, but persistent injury problems have prevented his comeback from developing in the way either the player or club had hoped. Now, with another injury keeping him out and Monaco working towards a possible separation, Pogba has responded with a message that goes far beyond football.
The Frenchman shared an Instagram story showing a seriously ill child and wrote: “How can I be sad… when I see this.” It was a short message, but one that immediately attracted attention because of everything currently happening in Pogba’s career. At a moment when he could understandably be disappointed about another injury and the possibility of losing his club, the World Cup winner instead appeared to put his own difficulties into perspective after seeing someone dealing with a much more serious battle.
Monaco Ready to End Pogba’s Contract Early
Pogba’s potential Monaco departure would bring another difficult chapter of his career to a premature conclusion. He joined the French club as a free agent in June 2025, signing a contract until 2027 and hoping the move would finally allow him to return to regular football following several years dominated by injuries and his doping suspension. His arrival was an emotional moment, particularly because it represented an opportunity to play professional club football in France for the first time in his senior career after spending his most successful years with Juventus and Manchester United.
Unfortunately, the comeback never properly gathered momentum. Pogba eventually made his Monaco debut in November 2025, ending a wait of more than two years for a competitive appearance, but his body repeatedly prevented him from building consistency. He finished the 2025/26 campaign with only six appearances, all from the bench, amounting to just 115 minutes of competitive action. Monaco hoped a full pre-season could finally help him recover the fitness required to contribute regularly during the new campaign, but those plans suffered another major blow when Pogba injured his left thigh during the club’s pre-season preparations in England.
Reports in France indicate that Monaco’s discussions about ending his contract had actually started before the latest injury, meaning the thigh problem was not the sole reason behind the decision. The club reportedly wants to reach a financial agreement with Pogba and terminate his deal before September 1, potentially giving him the opportunity to find another club this year. The final decision has not simply been imposed on the midfielder, however, because a mutual termination requires an agreement between the parties and Pogba must decide whether he is prepared to accept Monaco’s proposal.
Pogba Puts His Football Problems Into Perspective
Against that backdrop, Pogba’s Instagram message carried considerably more emotional weight. Professional football has been at the centre of his life since he was a youngster, and the past few years have given him more setbacks than celebrations. He has gone from being one of the world’s most recognisable midfielders and a World Cup winner with France to fighting simply to remain fit enough to play regularly. Another potential contract termination could therefore have been viewed as one more devastating moment in a career that has changed dramatically.
Instead, Pogba’s message suggested that seeing another person facing a far more serious situation made his own disappointment feel much smaller. “How can I be sad… when I see this,” he wrote alongside the image. There was no lengthy statement about Monaco, no attack on the club and no public complaint about his latest injury. The message instead reflected gratitude and perspective at a particularly uncertain moment in his professional life.
That does not mean the situation at Monaco will be easy for Pogba to accept. His move there was supposed to represent his opportunity to start again. When he signed in 2025, there was enormous interest in whether one of the most naturally gifted midfielders of his generation could put several miserable years behind him and enjoy football again. The fact that his Monaco spell could now end after only six competitive appearances makes the situation particularly painful.
Pogba’s Long Road Back to Football
The difficulties Pogba is experiencing now are the continuation of a remarkable decline from the level he once reached. During his first spell at Juventus, he developed into one of Europe’s outstanding young midfielders, combining physical power with creativity, passing range and an ability to produce spectacular goals. Manchester United subsequently paid a then-world-record £89million to bring him back to Old Trafford in 2016, while two years later he played a major role as France won the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Injuries increasingly became a problem during the latter stages of his Manchester United career, and his return to Juventus in 2022 was supposed to provide another fresh beginning. Instead, physical problems severely restricted his appearances before his career was disrupted further by an anti-doping case. Pogba was initially handed a four-year suspension after testing positive for DHEA, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport later reduced that punishment to 18 months, allowing him to resume his career much earlier than initially feared.
Monaco subsequently offered him the opportunity he had been waiting for. There was genuine excitement surrounding his return, but after such a long period without consistent competitive football, getting his body back to the level required for elite competition proved extremely difficult. Every time Pogba appeared to be moving closer to regular involvement, another physical problem seemed to interrupt the process.
Another Injury Creates More Uncertainty
The latest thigh injury could now keep Pogba out for another extended period, and at 33, every lengthy absence creates further questions about how much football he has left. He has played remarkably little competitive football since leaving Manchester United in 2022, and recovering match sharpness becomes increasingly difficult when injuries repeatedly interrupt training.
That is ultimately the problem Monaco have been forced to consider. Pogba’s talent has never been the main question. At his best, he possessed qualities very few midfielders could replicate, and his achievements with Juventus and France demonstrated how influential he could be in the right environment. The uncertainty now surrounds whether his body will allow him to produce anything close to that level consistently again.
The club appears ready to move in a different direction, but Pogba’s next decision will be fascinating. If the contract termination is completed, he could attempt another comeback elsewhere once he recovers from his latest injury. There may be clubs willing to take the risk because of his experience, reputation and technical ability, although any interested team would naturally want assurances about his fitness.
Retirement speculation has inevitably emerged as well, but there has been no announcement from Pogba that he intends to stop playing. His wife, Zulay, has publicly pushed back against outsiders telling him when he should retire, making clear that the decision belongs to Pogba himself.
A Powerful Message During One of Pogba’s Toughest Moments
Whatever happens next, Pogba’s Instagram post offered a revealing glimpse into his mindset during another extremely difficult period. Football has given him extraordinary highs, from lifting Serie A titles with Juventus to becoming a world champion with France, but the latter stages of his career have tested him in completely different ways. Injuries, suspension and long periods away from competitive matches have turned what was once a career defined by trophies and enormous transfer fees into a battle simply to get back onto the pitch.
Monaco’s reported willingness to terminate his contract represents another major setback, particularly because the move was supposed to be Pogba’s fresh start. Yet his immediate public reaction was not to focus on what he was losing. Instead, seeing someone facing a much greater struggle caused him to reflect on his own situation differently.
“How can I be sad… When I see this” 💔
For a player facing uncertainty over his club, another injury and serious questions about what comes next, those few words carried considerably more meaning than a lengthy statement about his football future could have done.
