The Paris prosecutor’s office announced Tuesday that Mathias Pogba, brother of soccer star Paul Pogba, and five other men will stand trial in connection with an extortion case targeting the World Cup-winning midfielder. The case stems from allegations that surfaced two years ago.
Following an investigation, a judge has ordered the six men to appear before a court. The investigation examined whether Paul Pogba had been the victim of extortion attempts by his brother, Mathias Pogba, and several of his childhood friends, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Mathias Pogba, 34, is set to stand trial on charges of attempted extortion and criminal conspiracy. The court date has yet to be announced. The five other men, whose identities were revealed by their first names only, allegedly demanded 13 million euros ($14.3 million) from Paul Pogba. They reportedly intimidated him, accusing him of failing to support them financially after his rise to international soccer stardom. The charges against them include extortion, attempted extortion with violence, abduction, and criminal conspiracy.
According to the investigation, Paul Pogba admitted to paying 100,000 euros to the group, which included his brother. French media have reported that the 31-year-old Juventus player told investigators that the alleged extortionists sought to damage his reputation by claiming he had hired a witch doctor to cast a spell on fellow French soccer star Kylian Mbappé. Pogba has denied these allegations.
Mathias Pogba made headlines when he posted threats on social media, promising to release “explosive” information about his brother, Paul, as well as Paul’s agent Rafaela Pimenta and Mbappé. Mathias, a former professional soccer player himself, spent the majority of his career playing for lower-tier European clubs.
In recent years, Paul Pogba, once considered one of the world’s best midfielders, has been in the news more for off-field controversies than his performances on the pitch. Earlier this year, he received a four-year ban from Italy’s anti-doping court after testing positive for testosterone while playing for Juventus. He is currently appealing the decision with the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Pogba is best known for his time at Manchester United, which in 2016 paid Juventus a then-record transfer fee of 105 million euros for his return. He rejoined Juventus in 2022 but has since been plagued by injuries. Pogba was forced to miss the 2022 World Cup, where France reached the final, due to a knee injury. In 2018, Pogba played a key role in helping France win the World Cup, scoring in their 4-2 victory over Croatia in the final.
