Pogba will not quit the France team after Marcon's statements on Islamic terrorism

Paul Pogba is not quitting international football as a retaliation to statements by French president Emmanuel Macron alleging that Islam was the source of international terrorism, reports Sportsmail.

According to various Middle Eastern news sources, the Manchester United star - who is a Muslim - 'resigned' after the comments made by Macron in a highly-controversial speech on Friday.

And on Monday morning, Pogba took to Instagram to let his followers know that the initial reports were false - writing on his story: 'Unacceptable. Fake news.' 

Macron's comments came after French teacher Samuel Paty, 47, was murdered on his way home from the junior high school he taught in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, 40 kilometres northwest of Paris.

The French government bestowed the country's highest honour on the teacher, who had shown images of the prophet Muhammad to schoolchildren in his class before being attacked.

Macron described the murder as an 'Islamic terrorist attack' that took the life of the French teacher and later added: 'Unity and firmness are the only answers to the monstrosity of Islamist terrorism.'

Pogba's supposed resignation from France side was said to be motivated by Macron's comments.

It was also alleged in the reports from the Middle East that Pogba, who converted to Islam in his 20s, also resented the French government's decision to bestow the country's highest honour on Mr Paty.

He was awarded the French Legion d'honneur in recognition of the fact that he died trying to explain the importance of freedom of speech. 

The report claimed that Pogba considered the decision as an insult to him and to French Muslims, especially since Islam is the second religion in France after Christianity. There are an estimated six million Muslims in the country.

Calls are growing meanwhile around the world for people to boycott French goods in the wake of the president's comments accusing Muslims of separatism. He also pledged that France would 'not to give up our cartoons' depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

Earlier this month, Macron announced plans for tougher laws to tackle what he called 'Islamist separatism' in France, which has strong secular values. Macron said France's Muslims were in danger of forming a 'counter-society'.

Macron's comments have also sparked an international diplomatic incident, with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan accusing his counterpart of 'needing treatment on a mental level' for pledging to fight Islamic radicalism.

France has recalled its ambassador to Turkey for consultations after Erdogan's insult.

In 2019, Pogba revealed why he converted to Islam - insisting that doing so has made him become a better person.

Asked what being a Muslim meant to him in The Times' new Life Times podcast, Pogba said: 'It's everything. That's what makes me thankful for everything.

'It made me change, realise things in life. I guess, maybe, it makes me more peaceful inside.

'It was a good change in my life because I wasn't born a Muslim, even if my mum was. I just grew up like that, respect for everyone.

'Islam is not the image that everyone sees – terrorism… What we hear in the media is really something else, it's something beautiful.

'You get to know it. Anybody can find that he feels connected with Islam.'

After being approached for comment on Pogba, the French Football Federation said they have no information on the matter.