Pogba’s brother and five others face trial for extortion in France

Mathias Pogba, the brother of World Cup winner Paul Pogba, along with five other men, is set to face trial for extortion related to an incident that occurred two years ago. The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed that a judge has ordered the six men to appear in court following an investigation into allegations that they attempted to extort 13 million euros from the soccer star. The group reportedly intimidated Pogba, claiming he had not supported them after achieving fame in soccer. The charges against Mathias Pogba include attempted extortion and criminal conspiracy. During the investigation, Paul Pogba disclosed that he had already paid 100,000 euros to the group, which included his brother. The alleged extortionists also sought to tarnish Pogba's reputation by falsely claiming he consulted a witch doctor to cast a spell on his teammate Kylian Mbappé, an allegation that Pogba has denied. The case gained public attention when Mathias Pogba threatened on social media to reveal damaging information about his brother, his brother's agent, and Mbappé. This incident has drawn significant media coverage, highlighting the ongoing issues surrounding Paul Pogba's career, which has been marred by off-field controversies in recent years. In addition to the extortion case, Paul Pogba has faced other challenges, including a four-year ban from football due to a positive doping test. He has appealed this decision, and his recent struggles with injuries have kept him from participating in major tournaments, including the 2022 World Cup, where he was unable to contribute to France's campaign due to a knee injury.