If the Ballon d'Or was fair, Xavi would have won five or six. He deserves all the respect in the world.Collection: Respect
When I was growing up, I thought everything was a life of friendship, respect, and sharing. But I discovered that unfortunately, you have people who aren't behaving in the same way but have hatred.Collection: Friendship
I spent two great seasons playing in the Russian championship. I could have stayed there, but I went to the Premier League, which is much more competitive and requires much greater levels of fitness.Collection: Fitness
If you believe in something and have the strength not to give up, it can happen. I am the living proof it can be done.Collection: Strength
I had to deal with it so often, I found ways of making a point against racism. When I played against Real Zaragoza, they chanted like monkeys and threw peanuts on the pitch. So when I scored, I danced in front of them like a monkey. When the same thing happened against Real Madrid, I scored and held my fist in a Black Power salute.
English football is very different, and I had to adapt to it much more than I would have had if I had stayed in the Russian league. But after a season, I felt a lot better, a lot fitter.
If one of my own makes a mistake, they judge us all. Tomorrow, if a white man in Africa makes a mistake, we should judge all white people? No!
Sometimes, the fact that you're a footballer makes you think that racism can't happen to you because you bring that passion and you express a lot of things. When it happened to me, I couldn't believe it, and in that moment, I decided to walk off the pitch.
A child comes to see his father play, have fun, make people happy, and what does he see? He sees people booing his father for being black. They make monkey noises. They throw bananas at his teammates and all that.
Football is beautiful. Football is beautiful because whether you win, draw, or lose, you can go and shake your opponent's hand, whether they're white or black or red or blue.
It is important to feel the support of my family. Mentally, I can get away from everything that is football when I come home to be with them. Yes, work is a pleasure, but there will always be family.
I have been to the States many times. What I enjoy most is the feeling of being undercover, that no one recognizes me. When I go to the airport almost anywhere in Europe or Africa, I am recognized.
Messi is a god, as a person and even more as a player. I hope that he wins the World Cup with Argentina.
My relationship with Laporta? I always had a direct relationship with him, in that if I said something, we would be able to discuss it like men.
Jose Mourinho is one of the best managers with whom I have worked. I had a chance not only to have him as a coach but as a colleague, a friend, a big brother. I had a chance to learn from him, and he was open to receiving advice from me as well, even though I think he knew it all.
A lot of people criticised me when I opted to leave Italy for Russia. However, I'm convinced that I made the right decision to leave Inter.
Cameroon can win the World Cup. People think I am crazy when I say this, but if you believe you have the best team in the world, you are stronger.
I experienced great sadness with our elimination from the 1990 World Cup, with many penalties. I still have that feeling of injustice in me.
At Barca, we always have an obligation to win and to do it in style for our fans in the stadiums and around the world.
I have always said that the debate about who should play in goal is part of the game, but I never play in order to silence anyone.
I have the belief that all the qualified teams can create surprises at the World Cup and not just the traditional top favourites.
Why don't you think we should dream of an African team winning the World Cup for the first time? People never allow this thought to cross their minds, and it is shameful. When you try to even say it, people look at you as if you're joking, but they forget that dreaming is the first step to success.
By God's grace and strength of my work, I've managed to build a respectable image that I use to serve both my continent and my country.
In all things, you need a good organization. You can have the best player in the world; if you do not have the best team, you will not win.
I grew up in a family where my father always told me, defend your ideas when you think your ideas are good, and struggle to get your story written. And I've always fought for that.
My dream was to become a footballer, hope to become the best someday. And I worked for it. And I'll tell you that the work is the magic of success.