And all the time, you can only think to yourself in four languages: 'You know, they're probably right.'

Even your rivals can't bring themselves to hate you, you're so darn nice. Writers pen love letters to you, saying that seeing you play tennis is like a religious experience. You can wear gold-trimmed white blazers to walk on court and still carry it off. Whenever you play, you are worshipped by those who think that watching one of your matches is like seeing Nureyev or Olivier on stage. It is something original, beautiful and effective.' - Jorge Valdano, Argentine World Cup winner and soccer sage 'Neymar's football is artistic, because he can join his superior technique with his playful imagination. Once he was knocked out of the World Cup with a back injury, the lights went out for Brazil - but don't forget that until then, he had carried the impossible weight of expectation brilliantly with four goals, including two beauties against Cameroon. He's become a true champion at Barcelona, selflessly in the shadow of Leo Messi, and you know how good he is when Pele starts muttering that no way can he become the new Pele. Indeed, he's been so famous for being famous that it's easy to forget about the extraordinary gifts that spawned the celebrity. A dad at 19 while also becoming Brazil's footballing idol, he has been the most marketable athlete on the planet, the face of an entire World Cup and cover model for Vogue and Time. The joyous boy from Brazil (and Barcelona) is only 24, but, goodness, he's already lived a life. He can take advantage of every mistake we make.' - Arsene Wenger, Arsenal's manager, after Messi had scored four past them 'He is the best player in the world by some distance. The best? We'll plump for the one in the 2015 Copa del Rey final when, from just inside the Athletic Bilbao half, he takes the ball on the right flank, weaves past four bamboozled players and beats the keeper at his near post. Goal after goal of mesmerizing brilliance. You think Steph Curry's highlight reel is unreal? Then watch Messi's. Hah! Everyone knows that the real thing is actually priceless. In 2013, a Japanese jeweler created a gold replica of his left foot valued at $5.25 million. Of course, Barcelona's Messi is too modest to suggest this. Imagine what fun it must be for you to know that however great Cristiano Ronaldo thinks he is, you're actually even better, to the point where the only pertinent question left is whether you're the best soccer's ever seen. Winning two titles in Miami was vital for his legacy, but James' personal story will go from great to spectacular if he can finally snap the city of Cleveland's 52-year drought without a pro championship.Īfter James almost single-handedly kept Cleveland in last year's six-game NBA Finals loss to Golden State by averaging 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists in 45.8 minutes per game with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love out, columnist Bruce Jenkins wrote James didn't run out of steam, 'He ran out of team.' He touches all the bases.Īrguably, it hasn't happened yet. In 2014, Forbes named James the World's Most Powerful Athlete, and in 2015 James announced a partnership with the University of Akron to provide scholarships for as many as 2,300 students, beginning in 2021. He's pals with everyone from mega-investor Warren Buffett to Jay Z. He and Michael Jordan are the only players to win a regular-season MVP, NBA Finals MVP and an Olympic gold medal in the same year. James is a powerhouse on and off the court. Maybe in your opinion Messi is better than me. It was a similar scene over the weekend when Ronaldo peeled off his jersey triumphantly after delivering the penalty kick that clinched Real Madrid's 11th Champions League title. It also allowed him the chance to strip off and pose like a muscle man - an act he never needs to be asked twice to perform. He was bought by Real Madrid to win 'la decima,' their long-cherished 10th European Cup, and his extra-time penalty against Atletico Madrid in 2014 sealed the deal at the end of a Champions League campaign in which he scored a record 17 goals. In its midst stands a life-size waxwork of CR7 himself.

Yet it's nice for him to be reminded of his greatness by wandering round a museum that he's bankrolled on the island to be a shiny shrine to himself. The Madeira-born Portuguese knows he is breathtakingly handsome, gifted and wonderful (even if he can't quite persuade us he's as good as Leo Messi).

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