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Claim: A Facebook page called Sportrenz posted a story claiming that French football star Paul Pogba has signed for Olympique de Marseille until 2027, adding that “the midfield dynamo is truly back.”
Verdict: False. The president of Marseille Football Club, Pablo Longoria, confirmed in an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena SER that the club held talks with Pogba but decided not to sign him. There is no official announcement confirming the signing.
Full Text
A social media post claimed that Paul Pogba has signed for Olympique de Marseille until 2027. The post was made by a Facebook page named Sportrenz and quickly went viral among football fans in and out of France. The post describes Pogba as “the midfield dynamo” and says he is “truly back.”
There is no official statement from Marseille confirming this deal. Marseille’s club president, Pablo Longoria, has denied that such a signing has taken place. However, it’s significant to look at Pogba’s recent career. In August 2023, Paul Pogba tested positive for high levels of testosterone after Juventus played against Udinese. According to Italy’s National Anti-Doping Organization (NADO), Pogba was found to have used a banned substance known as non-endogenous testosterone metabolites. This led to a four-year ban from football.
Pogba, who was part of the French team that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup, would have been at risk of missing Euro 2024 and even the 2026 World Cup if he had served the suspension fully. But in early 2024, his ban was reduced to 18 months after an appeal. This decision allowed him to return to football before the end of 2025. As a result of the doping issue, Juventus terminated Pogba’s contract, making him a free agent and open to joining a new club.
Soon after his ban was reduced, speculation began about which club he might join. Among those speculated was Olympique de Marseille. This speculation was fueled by the Sportrenz post on Facebook, which claimed Pogba had signed a deal with Marseille that would last until 2027. The post received hundreds of likes and comments, with many fans believing the information was accurate.
Verification
To verify the claim, DUBAWA conducted a thorough investigation. First, an email was sent to Olympique de Marseille asking about the reported signing. The club responded, saying they had no information confirming Pogba’s signing.
Additionally, DUBAWA searched through reliable sports news platforms, including Goal.com Sky Sport, BBC Sport, and the French League1. None of these sources reported anything about Pogba joining Marseille. The highly trusted football transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, who regularly reports on major player transfers, did not report such news on his platforms.
The president of Olympique de Marseille, Pablo Longoria, spoke to Cadena SER, a Spanish radio station, where he addressed the rumours. Longoria said,
“We had conversations, and we had this opportunity because the player had come onto the market,” he said. “However, we decided not to do it this season because we thought that his recovery time could upset the squad. And that would raise expectations. We felt that it would be counterproductive.”
Longoria confirmed that although Pogba was available and there were talks, the club chose not to sign him, especially during the winter transfer window. One reason was that Pogba’s physical recovery and long absence from competitive football could affect team harmony and performance. He also mentioned that signing Pogba could have created unnecessary pressure on the rest of the squad.
Moreover, according to French football regulations, players who sign up after the end of the winter transfer window cannot be registered until the next transfer window opens. This means that even if Pogba had signed, he would not be allowed to play immediately.
Further confirmation came from Goal.com, which published a report saying Pogba turned down a possible reunion with former Manchester United teammate Mason Greenwood.
Conclusion
The post shared by Sportrenz claiming that Paul Pogba has signed for Olympique de Marseille until 2027 is completely false. There is no official confirmation from the club or any credible sports journalist. The club president has clearly stated that Pogba was considered but not signed because of concerns about team balance and timing.
Fans are urged to check for information from official club channels or trusted sports news outlets before believing and sharing such claims. False information spreads quickly on social media and may mislead people without proper verification, it can mislead millions.
Paul Pogba is a free agent and may return to football soon, but he has not signed up for any club, including Marseille.
