Pogba can dominate the World Cup, says Rio Ferdinand

Paul Pogba has the potential to become a leading light at the 2018 World Cup according to Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand.

Pogba has had a mixed season for club and country, prompting questions over his place in the France team as well as his own future at Old Trafford.

However, he looks set to play for Les Bleus in their World Cup opener against Australia on Saturday and Ferdinand believes he has the ability to leave his mark on the world stage.

“Pogba has the ability to go out there and dominate the World Cup. He is a fantastic footballer,” Ferdinand told Goal at BBC Media Day.

“But the problem at the moment is pressure. How does he deal with the expectations of a nation and how can he deal with that pressure?

“He is someone who is desperate to put his mark on the game and he will be going all out to do that. He definitely, in no doubt in my mind, has the ability to do it. It is whether he can put it all together in this space of time, within a tournament.

Getty Images

Previous comparisons have seen Pogba likened to France midfield kingpins Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane.

Ferdinand insists that a lack of silverware at national team level is one of the main reasons why Pogba isn’t at the same level, and encourages the 25-year-old to finish his career at United before judging his standing in the game.

“You can’t compare Pogba to Platini and Zidane yet. Those two players went into different stratospheres with what they have done in football, in terms of winning the European Championship…Platini… and he won titles with Juventus.

“And Zidane was a serial winner in the French national team, World Cup and European Championship – and then with his clubs as well. And now he is winning as a manager.

“You cannot compare yet. Pogba still has a career to finish before you can compare players like that.”

The BBC will provide extensive coverage of World Cup 2018 across TV, radio and online from June 14.