Few individuals can be credited as pioneers in the history of football, with Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola, and Arsène Wenger being notable members of this exclusive club.
However, pioneering in football isn’t limited to tactics, philosophies, and nutrition. There is a much bigger picture: enter Paul Labile Pogba.
On June 28, Pogba’s long-awaited return to the professional game was announced, as he signed a two-year deal with Ligue 1 side AS Monaco. After his 18-month suspension from football, which concluded on March 11, the 32-year-old is officially back in business.
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And as he inevitably looks forward to his comeback, it’s only right we look back. Paying homage to his pivotal role in paving the way for player self-expression.
Pogba has always been described as an enigma. His towering 6′ 3 frame often contradicts his balletic poise on the pitch. Possessing the unique ability to muscle past his opponents and skilfully navigate tight spaces with equal success.
A footballing unicorn capable of pulling off anything on the pitch, and I mean anything. The Frenchman has often dazzled fans with his creativity and individual brilliance, an ode to his experience as a youngster playing in the Parisian suburb of Lagny-sur-Marne, where space was in short supply and quick thinking was a necessity to survive the harsh realities of street football.
His ability to pull off the impossible is a testament to his willingness to express himself. He often combines his imagination with his indisputable technical prowess to dangerous effect. However, his commitment to being unapologetically himself isn’t limited to flip-flaps and 30-yard screamers.
Throughout his career, the Frenchman’s personality has shone through in every aspect of his life, and one of his favourite ways of expressing himself has been through his trims. Many of you will relate to the feeling of a fresh trim and the confidence it gives you as you take the long way home, ensuring everyone can see the immaculate fade and line-up.
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But Pogba has single-handedly been breaking the rules and changing the game, consistently raising the bar with some of the dopest, and most creative trims we have ever seen in football. There is not much he hasn’t tried with his hair, rocking different colours, patterns, and styles. He’s done it all — pulling off each look with equal success.
But Pogba didn’t stop at haircuts. Given his poise on the pitch, it makes sense that he was an avid dancer and a good one at that. Having grown up in a West African home with Guinean parents, it’s no surprise that his cultural affinity for expressing himself through dance stuck with him. Not to mention how locked in he is with US culture. He was the man who brought the ‘Dab’ to football — a celebration he enjoyed so much he engraved it into his hair.
But while some have been captivated by this, rightfully heralding Pogba as a symbol of free expression, others have taken issue with his exuberance. Labelling it as disrespectful and symptomatic of his assumed lack of commitment to the sport. As a result, Pogba has always been misunderstood. His authenticity is often misinterpreted as arrogance, while his willingness to smile through the good and bad times is frequently used against him.
@footballerfits The Pogba x Lingard duo was undefeated 😂❤️ #football #fashion #lingard #pogba #mufc #bromance ♬ original sound – Footballer Fits
The Frenchman’s transfer to Manchester United in the summer of 2016 for a then-world record fee of £89 million represented a seismic shift in English football. He broke the internet with one of the most iconic announcement videos ever. Featuring Stormzy, it signified one of the first, and perhaps most significant, fusions of football and music. His arrival brought to the Premier League a player who was unapologetically himself in all facets of his life – from hair to dance to even openly displaying his Muslim faith.
Unfortunately, the game wasn’t ready for him. As a result, he became the target of constant media attention, which weaponised his personality against him and used it to criticise him. It’s no secret that Pogba’s time at Manchester United was riddled with inconsistencies for various reasons. However, the fundamental point is that criticism often crosses the boundaries between Pogba, the footballer, and Paul, the person.
His biggest fan, Graeme Souness, epitomised the repeated crossing of the boundaries between professional and personal criticism. Since he arrived at United, and even after he had departed the club, Souness has been highly critical of the midfielder. Calling him a ‘YouTuber’ in 2017 and, more recently, labelling him a ‘lazy twat’ in 2023. The constant condemnation was about more than what occurred on the pitch and represented a much bigger problem within football.
In the eyes of the media, Pogba was getting too big for his boots — no pun intended. However, the real issue was that he challenged the status quo in English football, particularly the long-held perception of being a footballer. For too long, players were expected to live like robots, limiting any personal interests in the name of performance.
The imagined correlation between performance, trims, music, and fashion by the media and fans alike is one of the most nonsensical concepts in football. Nonetheless, it was very much a factor in the public perception of Pogba and often formed the basis of the criticism towards him as he was punished for simply being himself.
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However, in recent years, the narrative has shifted, with fans craving a greater insight into the person behind the name on the back of the shirt. The days of robotic and rehearsed responses in press conferences are slowly fading as fans relish the frankness and realness of players like Cole Palmer and Ola Aina.
The new generation of ballers are redefining what it means to be a footballer, bridging the gap between the game and the broader world by intertwining culture, fashion, and music. Whether it’s Alex Iwobi dropping a mixtape, Declan Rice walking for Labrum during London Fashion Week, or Phil Foden dying his hair blonde for Euro 2020.
Slowly but surely, the historic limitations placed on players and the expectation to stick to football are changing. However, the overreaction to Marcus Rashford’s outfit during his trip to New York shows that work still needs to be done.
Throughout his time in England, Pogba bore the brunt of an industry opposed to individuality. But almost ten years after his move to Manchester, the role of a footballer has been redefined. Players have now become brands, representing some of the biggest fashion houses in the world, collaborating with major companies, and developing their own media empires.
After being criticised for his haircuts, dancing in the United changing rooms, and even listening to the Quran, the cultural shift in football since his arrival in the Premier League has been monumental.
From the Snapchat derby to day-in-the-life content, fans are increasingly drawn to authenticity, craving insight into the person. They are no longer content with run-of-the-mill, generic responses.
So, as the Frenchman gears up for his return to the pitch, it’s only right that we celebrate his impact on the game, paving the way for the next generation of ballers to be more than their job title and indulge in their respective passions and interests.
Paul Pogba has won the World Cup, the Europa League, and multiple Italian titles, to name but a few of the accolades he has achieved in his career.
Ultimately, he is a pioneer and an OG of the self-expression wave in football, and we are eternally grateful to him.
Merci La Pioche.
