Euro 2020: Paul Pogba serves reminder of world class status after dominant display against Germany

Paul Pogba playing in a French national team jersey must be one of the most delightful scenes in football at the moment.

The swagger with which he plays, the way the ball effortlessly straps to his feet, the way he picks his passes, everything about him just appears elegant.

The 28-year-old’s performances for his country are a far cry from the inconsistent player that he usually is when he plays for Manchester United.

On Tuesday, France opened their Euro 2020 campaign against Germany. The former Juventus midfielder was the man of the match after putting up yet another stellar performance.

Paul Pogba's game by numbers against Germany:◉ Most touches (78)◉ Most duels won (13)◉ Most recoveries (12)◉ Most aerials won (4)◉ Most take-ons completed (3)A dominant display in the middle.#EURO2020

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) June 15, 2021

Pogba masterclass in midfield

Pogba rarely plays badly in a France shirt. He always appears more composed and confident when playing for Les Bleus.

Paired in midfield with N’Golo Kante and Adrien Rabiot, the Manchester United midfielder enjoyed another successful day at the office.

He created several opportunities for Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema. It was his outrageous pass that found Lucas Hernandez, whose cross led to Mats Hummels’ own goal.

Pogba also had the most touches (78), won the most duels (13), made the most recoveries (12), won the most aerial duels (4) and completed the most take-ons (3). It was a masterclass from the midfielder.

The perfect way to start! 💪🏾Amazing team performance 🇫🇷 @equipedefrance #EURO2020 #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/nBGFRPyE7B

— Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) June 15, 2021

Perfect reminder of Pogba’s world-class status

Pogba's world-class status has often been questioned in recent times. The 28-year-old’s inconsistency at club level is mainly the reason for this.

But he gave all his critics the perfect reminder of just how good he is. Pogba barely put a foot wrong against Germany and was on top of his game for 90 minutes.

"Obviously there is a difference between the Pogba we know with France and the one we know at United,” Manchester United legend Roy Keane quipped, as quoted by Goal, after watching Pogba dominate Germany.

There are those who believe the midfielder only plays well when he’s alongside Kante. However, a fairer assessment would be to say he plays well when he’s alongside fellow quality players.

And on Tuesday, Pogba gave the perfect reminder of his world-class status, despite coming up against a midfield containing Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gundogan.