"In EURO (2016) my country, Wales, had never been to a major championship for 60 years and they got to the semi-final and the impact it had on Wales as a country was huge not only for the next couple of months, but actually a generation. So, you have a generation watching Wales in a major championship, exciting the whole family and you will remember that forever. So, if India get it right with the U-17 World Cup, then it will last for a long time, which can only be good for football in India." Former Manchester United and Wales winger Ryan Giggs speaks with reporters in India about the impact that the FIFA U-17 World Cup, which starts on 6 October, can have on the host nation

"My gender is completely irrelevant to my colleagues. As referees we are all measured based on exactly the same criteria, and naturally this includes our performance. One excellent development, for example, is that one in four match officials at the upcoming U-17 World Cup in India will be women - based purely on performance criteria." Referee Bibiana Steinhaus speaks in an exclusive interview with FIFA.com after becoming the first female referee in Bundesliga history

"Zidane told me that since Messi, he had never seen a left foot like mine. I was a little impressed, because Messi is a piece of a footballer." Real Madrid attacker Marco Asensio tells COPE about manager Zinedine Zidane's high praise for his left foot

"I already knew. I'm thrilled, I'm thrilled for her. She's worked really hard to get back to where she is right now. I couldn't be happier. My mom. My mom told me in the stands. It's good for her. We've been friends for a long time and to see her progress as she has it's a great sight to see." Toronto FC and USA forward Jozy Altidore finds out that his girlfriend, Sloane Stephens, won the US Open tennis tournament at half-time of his team's match against San Jose Earthquakes

"You can't move on if you have this kind of accident. You have to think about if you can play football again or not. I was thinking about it every day, but you have to just keep going. That's what I've done." Crystal Palace and Senegal defender Pape Souare talks with the BBC about his experience being involved in a serious car accident one year ago

*Souare posts to social media about his progress, sharing that he is fully fit to return to the pitch*

"I’ve watched two million of his goals. For me, he’s the best ever, by a big margin." Argentina and Juventus forward Gonzalo Higuain tells the Guardian that his football idol has always been the Brazilian Ronaldo

"I have suffered against Messi many times; now I am lucky enough to have him on my team. When he has the ball you always believe that anything can happen -- good things for us. It's not just about his goals, either, but his all round involvement. You can put Messi in any position and he can score goals. His quality is always the same wherever he is. It doesn't matter if he's on the wing or in the middle, he's always connected to the play." Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde speaks about Messi's performance after their 3-0 win over Juventus in the UEFA Champions League

"The knee is almost there. I want everybody to have patience, and when I come back, the world will know." Manchester United forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic gives an update on his knee injury

"We have nice things for our students here but certainly not the level of professional jerseys. While the jerseys are not the schools' colours, I'm sure the kids will just be ecstatic." *Matt Link, Montpelier High School's athletic director in Vermont, USA, comments on Ligue 1 side Montpellier's gesture to send his school hundreds of misspelled jerseys for their use** *

"At that time, I wasn't switched on, I was a little bit in my own world, which is why I wanted to have the same haircut as him. Because when you love a player, you want to do everything like him. If he eats spinach, a kid is going to eat spinach even if he doesn't like them. I wanted to do everything like him, and as I didn't know what baldness was, I asked the hairdresser to cut a round bit out of my hair, he thought I was mad." New Paris Saint-Germain signing Kylian Mbappe tells Canal+  programme Clique about his football idol Zinedine Zidane

Barnsley owner Patrick Cryne shares a heartfelt message with the club's supporters in the matchday programme ahead of their EFL Cup second-round tie against Derby, which they won 3-2