Paul Pogba has taken the extraordinary step of investing in one of the world’s foremost camel racing teams.
The former Manchester United midfielder is now a shareholder and ambassador with Al Haboob, a Saudi Arabian outfit.
Pogba, 32, who now plays for Monaco, spends time studying the sport and admires the ‘heart, sacrifice and teamwork’ involved in racing the desert-dwelling ungulates. They can reach a top speed of 40mph.
It comes just weeks after the Frenchman – who hopes to play at the 2026 World Cup – returned to elite action after his 18-month doping ban.
‘I’ve watched my fair share of [camel] races on YouTube and spent time doing research in my spare time trying to understand the techniques and strategies,’ Pogba told BBC Sport.
‘And what stood out to me is how much dedication it takes from everyone involved. At the end of the day, sport is sport. It demands heart, sacrifice and teamwork.
‘People might not realise it, but sport always connects in some way.
‘Whether it’s football, camel racing, boxing – the foundations are similar. You need determination, you need focus, you need discipline and grit. That’s what makes champions at the end of the day.’
Al Haboob are the world’s first professional camel racing team and compete on the international stage.
They compete in the Gulf Cooperation Council (involving Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) and wish to establish a fully professional league.
It is hard to establish which camel has the honour of being the most expensive ever but the hoofed, humpbacked mammals do sell for as much as £3.75million.
Pogba, who was once the world’s priciest player when he joined Manchester United from Juventus for £89million in 2016, said: ‘Being the world’s most expensive footballer was an honour, but it also came with a lot of hard work, pressure and responsibility.
‘Owning the world’s most expensive camel one day would be a beautiful full-circle moment – something fun, something meaningful and something that excites me. Maybe one day we make it happen.’
Pogba returned to competitive action on November 22, coming on late in a 4-1 defeat by Rennes, after his doping ban which he described to Daily Mail Sport as ‘hell’.
He had given a four-year doping ban in September 2023 which was later slashed to just 18 months. His £200,000-per-week contract with Juventus was ripped up and though he was eligible to play from March onwards, it took him until June to land at Monaco.
His outing against Rennes was his first in 811 days. He always insisted that his doping had been an accident.
‘Paul’s involvement is transformational,’ said Al Haboob’s co-founder Omar Almaeena, who began the enterprise in 2018 with Safwan Modir.
‘His influence, leadership, and passion for cultural storytelling reflect exactly what Al Haboob stands for. This partnership is about more than racing; it is about sharing a heritage that deserves global recognition.’
