One by one, France’s FIFA 2018 World Cup heroes have parted ways with Les Bleus with long-time captain Hugo Lloris and defensive stalwart Raphael Varane following Blaise Matuidi following Qatar’s 2022 international retirement. Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann have both since followed suit and N’Golo Kante could soon join them as he is left out of Didier Deschamps’ October plans despite featuring in the September squad after an unexpected starring role at UEFA Euro 2024.
One of the key figures in the French triumph in Russia six years ago was Paul Pogba, who has recently learned that he can return to professional football in March next year around the time he turns 32, giving him a few more years to potentially play at a reasonably high level. Is the Juventus midfielder already in this group of former French internationals who have a brilliant history, having failed to add Euro success to their world title, or will Pogba get the chance to rehabilitate himself to dream of a potential swan song with Les Blauw?
Kante already showed at this summer’s European Championships in Germany that age is no obstacle under Deschamps, who is likely to withstand the current pressure he is under after the French disappointed in Germany and got off to a slow start in the UEFA Nations League . So Pogba must at least assess how his 2018 teammates are doing in their respective careers and will have especially taken into account those who have spent time away from the game for various reasons, albeit mainly physical.
Samuel Umtiti, Corentin Tolisso and Benjamin Mendy all undoubtedly reached the heights of their respective careers in Russia and that same trio are all plying their trade in their homeland these days as they try to salvage what they can from their remaining years at the top. Brutal injuries have plagued both Umtiti and Tolisso, while Varane also ended his international career in an attempt to add years to his club days at Manchester United and Como 1907, but that was astonishingly cut short when the 31-year-old recently retired from professional football.
Varane may move into a coaching role with the Italian side, but Lille OSC’s Umtiti and Olympique Lyonnais’ Tolisso are still struggling with their physical demons, while FC Lorient’s Mendy is a very different case given his well-documented legal troubles in the past. Those aren’t the only examples Pogba will be looking at, however, with Lucas Hernandez and Ousmane Dembele set to be reborn away from Bayern Munich and Barcelona, while both also opt to do so in France, albeit at Paris Saint-Germain .
Hernandez, like Umtiti, Tolisso and Varane, has been very unlucky with injuries after putting his body on the line in 2022. Bayern then saw him return to impressive individual performance levels in Paris before injury struck again. Dembele has simply been Dembouz as we have always known him for much of that time, although he has struggled to meet the cripplingly high expectations in Catalonia, but he has lived up to the talent that saw him emerge as part of the plans of Deschamps in 2018 and now is the key at PSG.
Presnel Kimpembe is likely to be next for Pogba as he attempts to return to Les Parisiens before the end of the year after a long list of physical problems dating back to the aftermath of his emergence as a regular for France and PSG . leader. But if he is not yet 30 and still under an extended contract with the French champions, Kimpembe should offer a great chance of recovery, which is unlikely to be the case with Pogba, as Juve are already parting ways with the French star investigating while he is still on contract. minimum salary.
Pogba will likely be without a club when the time comes to make his decision, so where that next chapter lies remains to be resolved first and foremost, but at the age of 32, which he will be next March, time is running out, too although there is a need for quality in midfield. Ligue 1, Major League Soccer and Saudi Arabia have all been mentioned as potential destinations for the ex-Manchester United man, but it is where he is offered the highest quality of football and how fit he can make himself that will ultimately determine whether we will ever see a football match. him again with France.