Paul Pogba's wife Zulay has defended her husband online following calls for his retirement, as French club Monaco move to terminate his contract.
Multiple reports in France state that agents for the former World Cup winner and ex-Manchester United midfielder are in talks with Monaco over a mutual termination at the club's request.
Pogba, who joined the Ligue 1 side last summer while earning £44,000 a week, has struggled with injuries during pre-season after featuring in only six games last season following a doping ban.
Wife responds to retirement comments
With some fans suggesting that his body can no longer tolerate playing at the top level, his 33-year-old wife Zulay defended her husband on social media.
Zulay is a Bolivian model and influencer who met Pogba in 2017 before marrying two years later. She addressed critics directly online.
"For all the people saying Paul should retire or he came back to football for the money, let me make this clear, the only one who knows when he will retire is God," she wrote.
"And for the ones who say he came back for the money, trust me we are very good with money, thank God," she added.
"Social media accepts everything. People can sit behind a screen and say whatever they want, insult someone, question their intentions and forget that there is an actual human being on the other side," Zulay stated.
"For those questioning what he has left to prove, let me remind you he achieved the dream every footballer in the world grows up chasing, dreaming to have. He won the World Cup for his country."
Zulay and Pogba have two sons together, aged seven and six. Pogba achieved international glory with France in 2018, winning the FIFA World Cup.
Injury setbacks and MLS interest
Pogba suffered a knee issue after playing 45 minutes of pre-season action and only returned to training last week following an injury in his first pre-season match. However, he suffered another nasty setback with a thigh injury during a small-sided game last week and was scheduled for an MRI scan this week.
An MRI scan is a medical imaging technique commonly used in sports medicine to evaluate muscle and soft tissue injuries.
As Monaco look to end his contract early, Daily Mail Sport understands that Pogba was offered to Major League Soccer clubs in the United States on Tuesday. MLS is the top professional soccer league in North America.
Doping ban and Juventus exit
The midfielder had been trying to revive his career after being allowed back into football in March 2025, when his doping ban was reduced on appeal.
Pogba had previously left Italian club Juventus after having his contract terminated by mutual consent in December 2024. Juventus play in Serie A, the top division of Italian football.
The former Manchester United midfielder was emotional when he signed for Monaco last summer, describing his return to the game as a second chance following what he called a time of darkness.
Pogba told Daily Mail Sport in 2024 that he learned news of his reduced ban while preparing for a film premiere.
"We went through hell. A time of darkness. But this is my second chance, I have to use it," he said at the time.
