I believe that soccer in the United States lacks an idol and they should do everything possible to create one.

I don't really understand what 'Galacticos' is supposed to mean. It's a term I dislike. I like football, pure and simple, and that concept isn't part of football. It's something else entirely.

I'm fully aware that Qatar are striving to become one of the leading sporting nations and they have big plans for football. Winning the honour of hosting the 2022 World Cup is the best possible proof of their intentions.

When I was a player I always said I would only play for Madrid.

I believe it's important to have a sporting director - someone to facilitate the communication between the club and the squad, and work on its planning. But not just at Madrid, at all teams.

Pogba is a player that Madrid would love to have - as would any team.

I was lucky enough to play with Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo, Cristiano... but Messi is different; he makes everything look so easy, so effortless - even the impossible.

I'm happy with, and proud of, everything I've achieved - of each game and each goal that helped the teams I played for.

Messi has a unique talent, he plays alongside quality players like Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Cristiano is also a great player.

We should be proud of what Cristiano has been doing. He scores 50 goals per season. I struggled to hit 20.

I speak with a lot of players who have stopped playing and they go to the gym for two hours a day and say 'now I run 10km a day.' When they were still playing they would complain about running for 10 minutes!

Having a successful career as a player does not ensure that you will be a good coach, I have to prepare myself.

I do not rule out any position in football. Not even the president.

My decision to pursue my career at Schalke 04 is in no way a mistake.

I got used to playing at half-empty stadiums at Al Sadd. There was no one in the stands in Qatar.

I have always been there to help the team, sometimes coming off the bench, other times as a starter.

Football has been my life and Real Madrid my home and together we have lived unique moments.

Every season is very difficult.

Never mind a year, if you don't win one game, it can become a complicated week! Yes, that's life at Real Madrid.

I set the record at Real Madrid in the Champions League, but Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world.

There's always a winning ambition in me, which keeps me going.

The affection shown to me by the Schalke fans is extraordinary and unforgettable.

I love playing games, but also training.

I was runner-up for the Ballon d'Or once and came third on another occasion. Could I have won it? Maybe. But I don't care. Football is a team sport.

What Cristiano has been doing is huge, but Madrid have a great team with players who can still offer more. The important things is that they keep working as a unit.

When I go five games without a goal, there's always a debate. Everything else that I do on the pitch is never valued.

You need to take care of yourself, have a good diet, rest sufficiently and have a lot of enthusiasm.

Every season has its bad patches.

I like to work in a team. And for that you must have a structure that covers everything and that there is fluid communication.

Real Madrid is a very big club and bad results generate controversy.

Having Leo Messi and Barcelona is good for La Liga - it's a real delight.

What brought me here was a desire to keep playing and the exciting project the Cosmos proposed to me. As well as being able to play, which is my passion and what I like doing, they also gave me the chance to help develop a youth academy, where I can bring my experience and knowledge to bear.

Seasons are 10 months long and what matters is to get to the last two to three months in your best form.

I don't think Madrid would be Madrid without Barcelona and vice versa.

Schalke, for me, is a great adventure, and I wanted to experience new sensations away from Real Madrid.

The key is to be the best-prepared possible and that is my commitment to the club.

If you are lucky enough to avoid serious injuries then the body goes on; it's the mind that gives in. And it's the mind that you need to enable you to suffer pre-season every year.

The European leagues and teams are more competitive, very technical. It was good to work in Qatar - a good experience for me for the future. In the U.S.A., the teams and the players are improving every season.

The intensity and speed of the ball on turf are very different.

Schalke was a beautiful experience for me.

Everyone throughout the soccer world knows the Cosmos name and the legacy of the players that played for this team previously. They helped establish soccer in America and I'm honored to follow in their footsteps.

I know a lot of marathon runners who are at their best when they are close to 40. You say to yourself, 'It's 42 kilometres and they are 37 or 38 years old,' but the body can. What you have to make sure you don't lose is your head. That is the most important thing.

I think it's important to work with children and teach them the right way to train and play at a young age.

When I left Real, I left a great club but joined a great club.

I've always wanted to live in America with my family and learn more about its culture.

I'm not going to lie: not playing football will be very difficult for me.

The things you learn when you're young you don't forget.

All kids have the dream of becoming a professional soccer player, but to become that you need so many things. You have to have talent, be hard working, have support, have discipline. You also have to have ability, physical and technical, and understand the game.

It was only a matter of time until my records fell.

In the Bundesliga you don't have much time with your family.