“I’m 24 years old – no! Obviously the campaign was very demanding, but I don’t feel tired. I do what millions of people dream of doing [for a living]. I feel fortunate, not tired. I’ll rest when I retire. Richarlison on whether he’s tired at having played in four competitions on three continents in little over two months [FIFA.com]

“Fortnite is a nightmare. Football players stay up all night playing that s*** and they have a game the next day.” Jose Mourinho “When he arrived at Juve, I didn't think he was that good. I am honest. In the European Championship he was unbelievable. In the final against England it was impossible to stop him.” Gigi Buffon [Gazzetta dello Sport]

“I asked him for a picture. He said, 'Yes, but only if I can take your medal once!’ It was a special situation. Did he get it? “Yes, but just for the picture!” Annike Krahn on a conversation with NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki at Beijing 2008 [Goal]

"When we arrived from Brazil, there was no-one who could tell us apart. You would arrive for training and, in the space of a few minutes, people would say good morning twice. Then came the misdirected hairdryer. I’d plead my innocence and [Sir Alex Ferguson] would get angrier for a second before he realised the entire dressing room was quiet because I was telling the truth. ‘Oh, f*cking hell’ he would say, and then everyone would just burst out laughing. Him too.” Fabio on playing for Manchester United alongside identical twin Rafael [The Athletic]

"I don't think that the words that were said will be good for a press conference! For me, I just tried to let the guy know that I knew, that I've been watching his penalties. I think even beforehand I mimicked his run-up as I was heading back to my goal to try to just mess with him a little bit. I waited as long as possible in the middle because I knew that he chipped down the middle earlier in this tournament, and then you just see what happens from there. Even though I went the wrong way, I'd like to think that a combination of all things, my team delaying the shot, me holding my ground, all led to that moment." Matt Turner on Hassan Al-Haydos’s missed penalty in USA’s Gold Cup semi-final win over Qatar

"We have Pele, who was the king, but there’s also Maradona, who was a friend and someone I got to see play. He was a role model for me. And there’s not that much rivalry between Brazil and Argentina anymore. On the pitch, he was a genius. Off the pitch, he was someone who would give me advice, explain things to me, a friend who would teach me to enjoy myself. Whenever he was in Madrid, he would invite me out for dinner. He became a very close friend.” Roberto Carlos "Sergio is perhaps the best defender in the history of our country. A football legend, a natural leader, a person with charisma, energy and brutal hunger. He is a fantastic signing, because he is not going to allow anyone to relax.” Ander Herrera

"It was all a big misunderstanding. After making a save, I felt something in my leg and I called for the physio to make sure it was nothing. Above all, though, I wanted to make sure that we as a team could catch our breath. Suddenly, I saw that the coach, Maurizio Sarri, had sent Willy Caballero to warm up. My intention, right or wrong, had only been to waste time to help the team. I didn’t have any serious problem that was going to keep me from continuing to play. I tried to signal that I wasn’t injured. But we were at Wembley in front of more than 80,000 people, so of course Sarri didn’t understand me. When the fourth official raised the board, clearly I should have come off, and I’m sorry I didn’t. I was wrong, and I am sorry for everyone who was involved: for Maurizio Sarri, who it seemed like I had undermined in public; for Willy, a team-mate and a great professional; and for all my team-mates and Chelsea fans who had to put up with everything – all the noise that was generated during the game and then in the days after." Kepa Arrizabalaga on refusing to be substituted during the League Cup final in 2019 [The Players’ Tribune]