Pulling on the Three Lions shirt is widely regarded as one of the greatest honours an English footballer can experience.

Representing your country at major international tournaments is the pinnacle of the sport, but that privilege also comes with enormous pressure, not only to perform but to carry the expectations of millions of supporters.

Few players understand that burden better than Gary Neville. The Manchester United legend was England’s first-choice right-back during one of the most challenging eras in the national team’s recent history, and he remains recognised among the Premier League’s all-time greats.

However, while many England players have endured criticism for their performances, Neville found himself at the centre of a very different controversy in 2003 — one that, according to his own admission, made him feel like ‘the most hated footballer in the country.’

The controversy stemmed from his decision to support Rio Ferdinand, who had been controversially removed from the England squad after missing a scheduled drugs test. Neville, alongside several experienced teammates, threatened to boycott a Euro 2004 qualifier against Turkey in protest, believing the FA had treated Ferdinand unfairly.

The situation quickly escalated, and Neville ultimately found himself pushed to the brink as a consequence.

Neville later reflected on the events of 2003 in an interview with the Daily Mail, explaining how the episode almost destroyed the international career he had worked so hard to build.

He added: “It was the week of England’s final qualifying match for Euro 2004 and my dad had just picked up me and my brother to take us to Manchester Airport so we could fly to London and meet the squad when I got the call: Rio had been dropped because of the missed drugs test. At first, I genuinely thought someone was joking.”

At 28, Neville was entering what should have been the peak of his playing career. By then, he had already represented England at two European Championships in 1996 and 2000, as well as the World Cup in 1998, having only missed the 2002 tournament through injury.

At Manchester United, Neville was also on track to secure his sixth Premier League title in eight seasons. Walking away from football at that point would have been virtually unheard of, but the intensity of the media backlash made him seriously contemplate it.

Ferguson’s Phone Call Changed Neville’s Mind

Throughout his playing days, Neville regularly spoke about the immense respect he had for Ferguson. Therefore, when he found himself considering walking away from England, it was fitting that the legendary Scot was the person who convinced him otherwise.

When the Rio Ferdinand controversy finally subsided, Neville remained an England international, although his career with the national side never truly reached the heights many had expected.

England again failed to live up to expectations at Euro 2004, suffering a heartbreaking quarter-final defeat to Portugal on penalties. Two years later at the 2006 World Cup, history repeated itself with another painful elimination at the same stage, against the same opponents, via another penalty shootout.

Neville eventually won the last of his 85 caps in 2007, retaining immense personal pride but achieving little tangible success with England. He later reflected on his international career and admitted that, in many ways, it felt like a “waste of time”.

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.com – Correct as of 27-06-26.

Pete Sampras was one of the most dominant figures in tennis throughout the 1990s, collecting 64 singles titles, including 14 Grand Slam crowns.

He remained unbeaten in Wimbledon singles finals, winning all seven he contested, and remains the only man to claim three consecutive titles at SW19 on two different occasions (1993-95 and 1997-2000). Sampras retired in 2002 following his triumph at the US Open.

During his time at the top, there was no shortage of challengers eager to dethrone him. He developed memorable rivalries with Boris Becker, Michael Chang, Goran Ivanisevic, Stefan Edberg, and Richard Krajicek.

Speaking to The Guardian in 2007, Sampras was asked to name his toughest opponent across his 14-year career, and he didn’t even hesitate when revealing who gave him the most problems.

Pete Sampras’ Choice For Toughest Tennis Opponent

He picked fellow American Andre Agassi, whose elite returning ability perfectly countered Sampras’ devastating serve. The pair met repeatedly in Grand Slam finals, both reached world No. 1, and faced each other 34 times overall, with Sampras winning 20 of those encounters.

“When he retired, I thought it was important to reach out to him, so I sent him a few text messages. It would have been a shame for us not to be in contact just because we were both no longer playing. Now we’re retired and bringing up families, we joke about how much we finally have in common.”

The Sampras-Agassi rivalry became one of the defining storylines of modern tennis, with two all-time greats boasting contrasting styles and personalities that consistently brought the best out of one another.

They contested 16 finals, including Miami in 1994 and 1995, the Canadian Open in 1995, Los Angeles in 1999 and 2001, the ATP Championships (Masters) in 1999, Indian Wells in 1995 and 2001, as well as Atlanta in 1992 and San Jose in 1996. Sampras finished with an 11-9 advantage on hard courts, while Agassi held a 3-2 edge on clay.

Agassi Snubbed Sampras When Naming His Toughest Opponent

In 2022, however, Agassi did not name Sampras as the toughest opponent of his career, instead selecting Australian star Pat Rafter.

“Pat and I had so many great matches. He was truly the most enjoyable player for me to compete against because he was such a sportsman, such a good guy,” he said.

Despite that, Agassi admitted Sampras played a vital role in shaping his career: “A great rival is like a mirror. You have to look at yourself, acknowledge where you fall short, make adjustments, and nurture the areas where you overachieve. There were times my rivals brought out the best in me, and there were times they brought out the worst.

“They probably helped me win things I never would have otherwise. They also cost me titles. I don’t know how you quantify what it would have been without a rival like Pete Sampras. I would have won more, but I think I would have been worse without him.”

It would possibly be the biggest game in history. Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo on the biggest stage in world football, and it could realistically take place at the 2026 World Cup.

They are two of the main contenders to be declared the greatest footballer of all time, but bragging rights in a World Cup match would likely tip the scales in either man’s favour. We’ve seen them compete in Champions League finals and El Clasico, but never at a World Cup.

Messi’s Argentina and Ronaldo’s Portugal are among the favourites to go all the way and win the iconic trophy. But there’s now a strong chance they’ll meet each other on the way to the trophy. But a few things have to happen for this dream match to become a reality.

Messi vs Ronaldo Edges Closer to World Cup Reality

Images via Reuters

There are two scenarios which could see Argentina face Portugal, but both are dependent on the latter’s final group game. Ronaldo’s side can either win their group with victory against Colombia or finish second.

Should they top the group, we’ll be extremely close to seeing the showdown. If both teams progress past their Round of 32 and 16 opponents, they would then meet each other in the quarter-final stage. This fixture would take place at Kansas City Stadium on July 11.

Argentina have already won their group, meaning they know which side of the draw they will be on. However, a second-placed finish would put Portugal on the opposite side. That means they wouldn’t be able to meet until the final, should they both make it.

Now that would add even more to the already highly anticipated match. It’s less likely, as there are more rounds for both teams to progress through, but Messi battling for his second World Cup and Ronaldo attempting to win Portugal’s first would make for extraordinary viewing.

This year’s World Cup final takes place on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium. The eyes of the world will be on that match, even more so if Messi and Ronaldo are there for one last dance. President Donald Trump would then hand the winner the trophy.

Ronaldo Ready For ‘Awesome’ Messi Clash

Phil Noble via Reuters

Ronaldo has been quizzed on his thoughts about a potential showdown with his long-term rival. The 41-year-old hasn’t been in the mood to field questions regarding his Argentina peer, but did say the prospect of meeting him at the World Cup was ‘awesome’.

He responded: “I don’t know how to answer that. But, well, it would be awesome.” But the Al-Nassr forward also snapped when asked another question about Messi after his team’s win against Uzbekistan.

Ronaldo added: “The most important thing was today, winning to advance, and being ready for what’s next … The main goal was to advance from the group stage, and we did it.”