"I met Ronaldo in 1993 and from that moment we always shared the room. I’ve slept more times with Ronaldo than my wife." Roberto Carlos talks about his friendship with former Brazil forward Ronaldo, in an interview with AS

"It's a sense of feeling like it's a story written and it's a chapter closed and it's on to other things. But it's been an unbelievable journey." The Best FIFA Women's Coach 2019 Jill Ellis speaks after managing her last game as USA's all-time most successful head coach

“Federer is infinite class, while Nadal is perseverance, sweat and also talent, otherwise you cannot win all the Grand Slams he achieved. Nadal’s hard work and constant desire to improve himself allowed him to be on a par with the most talented tennis player in history. The comparison is obvious and makes me smile, as Leo Messi is Federer, while Cristiano Ronaldo is like Nadal." Gianluigi Buffon compares two tennis and football greats in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport magazine Sportweek

"Ronaldo versus Messi, how can you separate them? I think they should get their awards and give it to both of them. All the time. You can't say this one is better than the other." Dimitar Berbatov also gives his thoughts on Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, speaking with Goal

"I wanted him to continue with Real Madrid. He gave a plus to the rivalry in the Clasico and La Liga." Messi also spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo in an interview with RAC1

"Not even in my best dreams did I think that this could happen. Thanks to God for allowing me to reach this great milestone and this Wednesday will be a historic match which I'll remember for all my life. It's an absolute honour to represent my country 100 times." Neymar reflects on reaching 100 caps for Brazil, becoming the youngest player to achieve the milestone

"I will be almost 40 years old at the next World Cup and I will work my socks off to make it." Dani Alves talks about his motivation to feature at Qatar 2022, in a feature by The Players' Tribune

"Dear fans, the time has now come and I will be finishing my active career at the end of this season. You made this unbelievable time possible for me. Saying goodbye as an active player makes me feel a little nostalgic, but I am also looking forward to the exciting challenges that await me soon. I will remain faithful to football." FIFA World Cup™ winner Bastian Schweinsteiger calls time on his footballing career

"Having people against me motivates me more because the better you play, then the more it annoys them. My last period with the national team had my best years, I came away more motivated than ever." Gerard Pique speaks with Antena 3's 'El Hormiguero' programme

"Football has taught me a lot about life. And who I am as a person. Out of all the games I played, I'll bet almost half ended with the media or the fans criticizing me. It's only natural that self-doubt creeps in. You wonder if you can actually do this. If I could go back to 2003 and that nervous, naive 24-year-old kid on a plane flying to England to play for Manchester United, about to sign with the biggest football club in the world, I'd tell him to buckle up tight. It's going to be one hell of a ride. There will be good days and bad. You're going to go to some dark places. You're going to wonder if you should give up. People will criticize you for decades on end. But it will all be worth it. The retiring Tim Howard writes a final goodbye letter to his fans on ESPN.com

Patrice Evra tells a story that occurred during the early days of his career to The Players' Tribune