Paul Pogba's touching shinpad tribute to his late father

France star Paul Pogba produced a touching tribute to his late father in the midst of wild celebrations following his side’s World Cup victory over Croatia.

As teammates celebrated, cameras flashed and confetti rained down from the skies, the star midfielder reached down, pulled out his shinpad, and held it against the World Cup trophy.

Pictured on his shinpad was Fassou Antoine, the 25-year-old’s late father, who past away last year aged 79.

Alongside the image, a heartfelt caption read.

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“Oh Lord, do not chastise me for what they say,” the message read.

“Forgive me for what they do not know and make me better than what they think of me.”

As celebrations continued, Pogba was seen sharing a special moment with his family, still with shinpad and trophy in hand.

Then, the trademark dab celebration, trophy in the right, shinpad in the left.

It was truly a beautiful moment amid the mayhem of World Cup victory for the Manchester United star.

While the headlines the next day would focus on Pogba dabbing with the French president, or teasing England fans by singing “football’s coming home” on his social media accounts, this was the special moment that was widely missed.

Pogba later described how he had watched France win the World Cup in 1998 on repeat with his family as he dedicated Les Bleus’ victory to his late father.

Pogba scored France’s third goal to help clinch their second world triumph, 20 years after head coach Didier Deschamps captained the team to glory on home soil.

“I think about 1998, when I watched a cassette tape of the World Cup with my father at home, on repeat,” Pogba told BeIN Sports.

“We would watch it the entire time, the entire time.

“Now today I am a world champion. I miss my father.

“He is watching us. I think he would be very proud, this is for him.”

It wasn’t the first time Pogba had remembered his father via his shinpad, after paying tribute to him after France’s victory over Australia in the group stages.

Last March, Pogba took to Instagram to share another special message to his late father, alongside an image of the pair in hospital.

“Happy birthday dear Dad, I feel blessed to be your son,” he wrote.

With Omnisport