Paul Pogba receives request from France national team ahead of Euro 2024 clash with Belgium

Paul Pogba has received a special request from the French national team ahead of their mouth-watering clash with Belgium at Euro 2024.

Former France international Pogba is currently serving a four-year ban from football due to a doping offence.

Pogba was handed the suspenson after dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) was found in his system, a compound that promotes the production of hormones in the body including testosterone.

After being hit with the ban, Pogba released a statement denying "knowingly or deliberately taken any supplements that violate anti-doping regulations", while also confirming his intention to appeal.

The midfielder is currently preparing for a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), where he hopes to have his ban reduced or overturned.

Former Manchester United star Pogba was part of the French side that triumphed at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

He is said to remain close with France head coach Didier Deschamps, having worked together at multiple major tournaments.

ESPN claim Pogba has been invited to attend the match against Belgium in Dusseldorf on Monday evening despite his ban.

His former France teammate Blaise Matuidi has also been invited by the French FA to attend the game.

Pogba will travel to the match from his home in Turin, Italy - with the player still contracted with Juventus pending the outcome of his appeal.

Both France and Belgium have so far struggled at Euro 2024, with neither side topping their group at the tournament.

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

Belgium were forced to issue a public apology ahead of the match after their FA published a video of Amadou Onana singing an offensive chant about Kylian Mbappe.

Paul Pogba is currently serving a four-year ban from football (Image: Getty)

In a clip published last week, Brussels-based comedian Pablo Andres says, "Who will kick Mbappe on the shin?" before Onana chants his own name.

Belgium's press officer Stefan Van Loock later issued a public apology to Mbappe at a press conference on Saturday.

He said: "It was not the intention to attack anyone.

"We have been working with comedian Pablo Andres for a long time, this video also had to be funny.

"But we misjudged that and also took the video offline.

"We would like to apologise to anyone we may have offended with this. For us, this is the end of the matter."

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