Manchester United and France midfielder Paul Pogba says he will take legal action after “total fake” reports said he was to quit international football.
Pogba, 27, was reported to be quitting the France national team over comments made by the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, about Islam.
World Cup winner Pogba, who is Muslim, has 10 goals and 72 caps for France.
“Absolutely 100% unfounded news about me are going around, stating things I have never said or thought,” he said.
Writing on Instagram, he said he was “appalled, angry, shocked and frustrated” at some media “using him to make total fake headlines” and “adding the French national team and my religion to the pot”.
He added: “I am against any and all forms of terror and violence. Unfortunately, some press people don’t act responsibly when writing the news, abusing their press freedom, not verifying if what they write/reproduce is true, creating a gossip chain without caring it affects people’s lives and my life.
“I am taking legal action against the publishers and spreaders of these 100% Fake News.”