Paul Pogba is currently a controversial figure in world football due to the fact the Juventus midfielder is in the midst of a four-year ban from playing football due to alleged doping offences.
Although Pogba is appealing the sentence and claims his innocence, he is currently ineligible to play any competitive football hence his absence from Euro 2024.
The 31-year-old has previously been a key player for Didier Deschamps for the French national team and scored in the 2018 World Cup final. Pogba's goal helped France towards a 4-2 victory that earned Les Bleus their second World Cup triumph.
The ex-Manchester United man has retained a positive relationship with Deschamps and was invited by his former manager to come and see the team this week ahead of France's round of 16 clash with Belgium alongside his midfield partner in 2018, Blaise Matuidi.
Paul Pogba get partisan reception from France fans
After spending some time with the current squad, Pogba then made his way over to a French fan zone in Dusseldorf to surprise some fans before the match got underway.
🇫🇷💙 Look at the way the France fans reacted when they saw Paul Pogba! (@_simonbolle) #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/haHz9xKvnn
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) July 1, 2024
When he first appeared on stage at the fan zone, the reaction that the midfielder received was deafening, demonstrating that he still has the full backing of fans in his native country despite the current controversy that hangs over him.
Shortly after receiving a raucous welcome, the fans in Dusseldorf began chanting his name much to the delight of the man himself. The smile on his face said it all and unsurprisingly, he took his phone out to record the special moment.
Paulo Pogba, Paulo Pogba… 🤩🔊
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) July 1, 2024
The Pogba love-in continues inside the stadium
It wasn't just outside the stadium in Dusseldorf that Pogba received the adulation of France supporters. Inside, the passionate French fans must have been aware of his presence in the city as his chant got an airing on a couple of occasions. Additionally, one fan unveiled a large banner with a message of support for the midfielder.
France managed to overcome Belgium in their round of 16 match thanks to an own goal from Jan Vertonghen in the dying minutes. Perhaps the positive response towards Pogba could mean that he elects to extend his stay in Germany for as long as France are alive in the competition.