Paul Pogba’s 2018 world cup peak came with France’s third goal in a 3-1 final win over Croatia, but the years after that have been defined by injuries, a blackmail case and a reduced doping ban. Eight years on, the 2018 Équipe Tricolore looks less like a champions’ reunion than a record of how quickly elite careers can bend.
Pogba scored the goal that made it 3-1 in the final. After returning to Juventus, he ran into injuries, athletic decline and personal problems, then became the target of an alleged blackmail attempt involving his brother Mathias and others.
Pogba, Juventus and Monaco
In 2023, Pogba tested positive for DHEA after a Serie A match. His original four-year suspension was later cut to 18 months, and he tried a fresh start at Monaco in 2025 after Juventus terminated his contract.
That return did not restore his old role. Last season, he played only 115 minutes at Monaco, a sharp drop from the player who had decided the World Cup final in Moscow. The contrast is stark because his peak came in 2018 and the slide has been long, public and tied to both form and off-field trouble.
Benjamin Mendy and Adil Rami
Benjamin Mendy followed a different path, but the damage was just as clear. He was charged in 2021 with several alleged sexual offenses and stood trial for months before later being acquitted, yet his career never fully recovered.
Mendy went on to play for Lorient, FC Zurich and Pogon Szczecin, where his contract expires at the end of June. The former Monaco left-back was once transferred to Manchester City for 57.50 million euros, but his market value has fallen to 400,000 euros. Last season he was at Pogon Szczecin, far from the level that once made him one of the most expensive defenders in the game.
Rami’s strange route
Adil Rami’s 2018 role was even more unusual. He traveled to the tournament as the fourth center-back and did not play a single minute, yet he still became a world champion.
His post-title years brought their own detours. Olympique Marseille terminated his contract in 2019 for gross misconduct after he called in sick to training and instead took part in a film shoot and performed stunts. His former partner Pamela Anderson also accused him of being violent and manipulative, and he later won the French show Les Traîtres.
Rami has remained in the public eye, too, through football criticism. He made critical remarks about Lamine Yamal, saying: "He’s already throwing parties. Wait until you’re older, you f******! He’s always walking around with jewelry and diamonds—he thinks he’s American. It really pisses me off." For France’s 2018 champions, the medals are still there, but the careers around them have been remade by bans, allegations, termination and long declines.
