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Paul Pogba scored a stunner in the final to help France lift the World Cup after 20 years in the wilderness. The maestro has been one of the guiding lights in France's run to ultimate glory in Russia.
The World Cup came at the most opportune moment for the midfielder, who had been struggling to hit top form for his club side Manchester United under the management of Jose Mourinho after making the world-record switch from Juventus in Italy to Manchester in England.
Reports of rifts between the two had become the norm in media outlets in England, with many putting a timeframe on how much longer the lanky Frenchman would persist at the club.
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Jose Mourinho's susceptibility to make outlandish remarks and tarnish the reputation of players in front of the watching eyes of the world was certainly not helping Pogba's cause and, as a result, his season petered out with United failing to land any silverware last in their campaign.
United had largely looked unstoppable in the first half of the season and were a force to be reckoned with, as both Manchester clubs pulled away at the top of the Premier League. United managed to keep pace with City for the most part before the tumultuous transfer saga of Alexis Sanchez finally came to bear.
From then on, Mourinho struggled to come up with a system that makes both players shine just as much as both players struggled to gel together in the system, raising the question that who should the Portuguese prioritize when making tactical decisions: Pogba or Sanchez?
We take a look at three reasons why the Frenchman has proved it ought to be him:
#3 Pogba was brought it with the purpose of building the team around him, Sanchez wasn't
Manchester United won the war over Pogba's signature back in 2016, a war which included the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, to get him to return to Old Trafford, a few years after he was moved on by Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Frenchman's desire to prove himself at the club played a huge role in his final decision. Widely hailed as one of the most talented midfielders in world football, Pogba was the player that Jose Mourinho would now look to build the team around. Rightly so.
Pogba did take some time to settle into his rhythm, but he really hit his straps in the season that recently concluded. Pogba was strutting out quality performances in the red of Manchester United before Alexis Sanchez's arrival at the club hampered his performances.
Pogba was brought in with a vision and some purpose that would involve him being the central figure in the dressing room as well as on the pitch. That wasn't the case with Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean was widely understood to be on his way to a reunion with Pep Guardiola before Manchester City pulled the plug at the last moment, allowing Mourinho to swoop in with an offer that not many in the Premier League had the financial muscle to muster up themselves.
Alexis Sanchez was never a part of Mourinho's plans and despite his indisputable talents has proved to be a hindrance in not just Pogba's progress but also the progress of Manchester United.
#2 Wealth of talent in Alexis' position
Manchester United have a problem of plenty when it comes to choosing their attacking personnel. Alexis Sanchez, as he was never originally in Mourinho's pans, was brought in to a squad already well stocked with forwards in the shape of Lingard, Rashford, and Martial.
Their ability and undeniable quality mean that the manager will be forced to use them on many occasions which will result in Sanchez losing his place in the starting lineup.
The situation in midfield is quite opposite with Paul Pogba the only man who has the quality to affect proceedings and will most likely end up keeping his place in the side for the majority of the season, barring fits by Mourinho that might see 16-year-old rookies start ahead of the Frenchman - if only to put Pogba and his ego in place.
Therefore, it makes much more sense for the Portuguese to try and build a system around a player who is more likely to be a constant fixture in his starting lineup.
#1 World Cup Winner
Paul Pogba fulfilled the hope of an entire nation as France went onto lift the most coveted prize in the game in 2018. After narrowly missing out on the Euros two years ago, Pogba and his teammates showed immense character to come back and attain ultimate glory.
The way Pogba was forced to function in the French midfield, a role similar to the one Jose Mourinho wants him to play at United, it has put to rest all doubts about Pogba's maturity to play according to needs of his side rather than the other way around.
Mourinho's has repeatedly alluded to Pogba's refusal to do the less glamorous parts of his job and has sighted that as a reason for the Frenchman not remaining central to his plans.
However, following what he did for his national side in Russia - playing the deep-lying holding role and restraining himself from expressing himself further upfield - the manager can no longer fault him for his lack of maturity or his ability to mold himself according to the needs of the team.
