Former Barcelona and Manchester United star Gerard Pique has weighed in on the eternal debate between his legendary former team-mates. While maintaining that Lionel Messi possesses unmatched natural talent and is the greatest footballer ever, Pique concedes that Cristiano Ronaldo is peerless when it comes to work rate.

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has revealed what will “retire” Cristiano Ronaldo, with the evergreen Al-Nassr forward still going strong at 41 years of age. Remarkable individual standards at club level have been maintained by the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus superstar. He is preparing to grace a sixth World Cup finals this summer and has been showing no sign of slowing down.

Jurgen Klopp has tipped Mohamed Salah to follow in the footsteps of icons like Cristiano Ronaldo by playing into his 40s. The former Liverpool manager believes the Egyptian forward’s elite professionalism will allow him to remain at the top level for many years to come following his shock exit announcement.

Manuel Neuer has received the ultimate praise as he celebrates his 40th birthday, with former manager Felix Magath ranking the goalkeeper alongside the greatest players to ever grace the pitch. The Bayern Munich captain, whose future remains a subject of intense speculation, has been categorised in the same bracket as multiple Ballon d'Or winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

As Mohamed Salah prepares to bid farewell to the Premier League, the Saudi Pro League has emerged as the most likely destination for the 33-year-old. While Al-Nassr remains a financial powerhouse in the region, questions have been raised about how the Egyptian would fit alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese icon has previously called for more investment in the squad, but there are doubts whether he would want another global superstar sharing the spotlight in Riyadh.