France Invites Pogba for Euro 2024 Match vs. Belgium

Paul Pogba has received a special request from the French national team before their highly anticipated Euro 2024 match against Belgium.

 Former France international Pogba is presently serving a four-year suspension from football for a doping offense.

 Pogba was suspended when dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) was discovered in his system, a chemical that stimulates hormone production in the body, including testosterone.

 After receiving the ban, Pogba denied "knowingly or deliberately taking any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations" and announced his intention to appeal.

The midfielder is preparing for a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), where he seeks to reduce or lift his suspension. 

Pogba, a former Manchester United player, was a member of the French team that emerged victorious at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

 He is rumored to maintain a close relationship with France's head coach, Didier Deschamps, as they have collaborated on numerous significant tournaments.

 Despite his suspension, ESPN has reported that Pogba has been invited to attend the match against Belgium in Dusseldorf on Monday evening.

 The French FA has also invited his former France teammate Blaise Matuidi to attend the game.

 Pogba will travel to the match from his residence in Turin, Italy, as he is still under contract with Juventus pending the outcome of his appeal.

 Belgium and France have encountered difficulties during Euro 2024, as neither team has emerged as the leader of their respective groups.

 Belgium took second place in Group E after Romania, while France finished second in Group D behind Austria.

 Belgium was compelled to issue a public apology before the match after their FA released a video of Amadou Onana chanting an offensive chant about Kylian Mbappe.

"Who will kick Mbappe on the shin?" asks Brussels-based comedian Pablo Andres in a footage released last week before Onana yells his own name.
Later on, Belgium's press officer Stefan Van Loock publicly apologised to Mbappe at a Saturday press conference.
He said: "It was not the desire to attack anyone.We have long-standing working relationship with comedian Pablo Andres; this video had to be humorous as well. "But we misjudged that and also took the video offline."
"We apologies to everyone we could have offended with this. This marks for us the end of the matter."