Whether the word got around to Cristiano Ronaldo is unclear, but Pep Guardiola's opinion that Bernardo Silva is "already the biggest star" on the Portugal national team made headlines in Lisbon and Porto. On leave from international duty for the Nations League games last September, October and November, Ronaldo reappeared for his country at the next available opportunity after that remark. A coincidence and nothing more, surely.

Three years on from his Euro 2016 triumph in Paris, the coach of the Selecao, Fernando Santos, finds himself in an enviable position. It's not just the latest bloom in Bernardo's development and the level of confidence he gives Portugal as they prepare to make the most of home advantage and seize the chance to lift the inaugural Nations League in front of their own fans. It's also the new generation succeeding the old.

Ronaldo may think he has the biological age of a 23-year-old -- he may well end up Tom Brady-ing his way into his 40s for all we know -- but as the muscle injury he suffered in his comeback against Serbia showed, to say nothing of the knee strain that brought his appearance in the Euro 2016 final to a premature end, Portugal can no longer rely on him as much as they did in the past. Bernardo and Bruno Fernandes are stepping up, but fortunately for Santos and Portuguese football as a whole, a star of perhaps even greater potential was born this season.

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The first whispers about a new Portuguese wonderkid started two years ago as Joao Felix inspired Benfica to the final of the UEFA Youth League. Already a regular for Benfica II, the club's second team, one Segunda Liga record after another tumbled as the precocious Felix first became the youngest player ever to make an appearance in Portugal's second tier, then its youngest goal scorer and then its youngest hat trick hero with an eyebrow-raising display against Famalicao.

Not exactly short of fresh talent -- Portugal won the Under-17 Euros in 2016 and the Under-19 equivalent last summer -- Felix, who did not feature in either of those successes, is considered the country's best prospect since Ronaldo.

Insulted by "a dozen imbeciles" as he joined up with the senior national team for a training camp outside Vila Nova de Gaia this week, the abuse Felix copped was reflective of the bitter regret felt by fans of nearby Porto that, after spending seven years in their academy, he left for Benfica.

As inexcusable as it is to turn on a teenager for doing what he felt was best for his career, you can understand the anger. Perhaps it would be better directed at Porto, though, for not fully appreciating the prodigiousness of Felix's ability when they had it.

His breakout season in the Benfica first team didn't just capture a county's imagination but that of an entire continent, too. Look at it this way: By the time he'd made his fifth senior appearance, the board were already rolling out a new contract, fearful that the €51.5 million buyout clause would be considered cheap by Europe's superclubs. Benfica more than doubled it, bumping the figure up to €120m for good measure. Should someone write them a check for that amount this summer, Felix would become the most expensive Portuguese player of all time, overshadowing even Ronaldo.

He has been in sensational form since the turn of the year, finishing the campaign with 20 goals and seven assists in all competitions. Benfica fans will reflect on how he rescued them in the first Lisbon derby with a late equaliser as a substitute, not to mention the other goals he scored in wins against Sporting and Porto in O Classico. However, the virtuoso display against Eintracht Frankfurt in April stands out as one of the best individual performances by any player in Europe this season.

Felix became the youngest player in Europa League history to score a hat trick, but the totality of his display, beyond the goals themselves, was breathtaking. It started with a reverse ball for Gedson Fernandes that effectively won Benfica a penalty and got Evan N'Dicka sent off. He converted the spot kick and ran the game, also setting up Ruben Dias' goal with a near-post flick-on from a corner.

Santos' decision to call him up for the senior Portugal squad a month earlier had been criticised in some quarters for perhaps being a little overeager. Why not leave Felix with the Under-20s, a team busy preparing for the U20 World Cup in Poland, a tournament they just exited at the group stage? But watching Felix against Frankfurt, it felt entirely natural for him to land in the Nations League squad, particularly as it finishes before the Under-21 Euros, a more challenging competition for him than the one that's going on at the moment.

Ultimately, Felix deserves the chance to learn among the best.

A picture of him and Ronaldo training together appeared on Twitter a few days ago, whetting the appetite for this week's semifinal against Switzerland. The accompanying caption was tongue-in-cheek: "The best player in the world and Cristiano," which further underlines the buzz surrounding the bright-eyed and bushy-haired 19-year-old.

Born in Viseu, the same town as Paulo Sousa, Felix's game intelligence could perhaps one day be compared with the two-time Champions League winner. But his vision and elegant running style has instead drawn parallels with Manuel Rui Costa. The 11 big chances he created in the Primeira Liga this season point to a sense of invention that's hard to find in a player who also scores so many goals. He's a "nine-and-a-half" on the pitch, that artful blend between No. 10 and centre-forward.

While Ronaldo is not yet ready to pass on the baton, we have in some respects come full circle. As was the case in 2004 when the former Ballon d'Or winner Luis Figo mentored the young Ronaldo during a major tournament in Portugal, now Ronaldo must perform the same role with Felix.

"When Ronaldo started with the national team, the first one to help him was Figo," Luiz Felipe Scolari recalled. "He was the first player to challenge Ronaldo to dribble and shoot, to score goals, to play his own game, to keep working all the time and become a better footballer. Figo took a position, saying 'My son, try again, keep trying. If you see the situation is difficult, I will give you a hand, and if you make a mistake I have everything ready, so calm down. But you have to try.'"

Now it's Felix's turn.

Chris Gayle and Andre Russell are "recovering quite nicely" and should be fit to go against Australia at Trent Bridge on Thursday, but a final decision on their participation would only be made on the morning of the match, Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, said.

The presence - or absence - of the two men (Gayle has a back problem, while Russell's fitness has been a concern for a while) will be crucial at what is a small, high-scoring ground, the theatre for England's record 481 for 6 against Australia last year. It was at Trent Bridge that West Indies shot Pakistan out for 105 earlier in the World Cup, but it's also where Pakistan and England totaled 682 runs on June 3. Importantly, the Australia v West Indies game will be played on the 481 pitch, so big hits might well be the order of the day.

"We just want to be as positive as we possibly can be. I think whether we bat first or if we chase, we've got to show intent," Holder said. "Intent is something that we spoke about in the dressing room, and it's something that we want to go about our goal with when we go into our innings. I don't want to get too caught up with the conditions, but at the end of the day I just want the guys to show intent and be fearless.

"We've played on a number of grounds with this short side, and this is something you've just got to cope with. I back the guys to go with their strengths first, no matter the dimensions of the ground. The ground will be one way for both teams; that's one thing guaranteed."

The other aspect of the West Indian game that paid them rich dividends in the seven-wicket win over Pakistan was their impressive short-pitched bowling, especially from Oshane Thomas and Russell.

"I guess it all boils down to the conditions. One thing I said in the last press conference is that we tend to formulate our plans to each batter. If it's a situation where we feel a batsman may be susceptible to the short ball, then we're going to use it," Holder said. "If it's a situation where that's not the case, then we'll find other alternatives.

"It's just not [that we are] stuck on the short ball. I think all the teams so far have used the short ball, and it's just something that's in the game. You've got two short balls per over; you might as well use them."

West Indies had to go through a qualifying tournament to get into the World Cup, a trophy they won in 1975 and 1979. But they have been talked up as one of the dark horses for the tournament, something the captain doesn't want to take too seriously at this stage.

"We're just taking it game by game. Tomorrow is our country versus Australia. We've got a hurdle to overcome. I think when we overcome that hurdle, then we'll move deeper into the tournament," Holder said. "But I just don't want to single out teams particularly. I think all teams are evenly matched and well-balanced, so it's just a matter of playing good cricket on any given day. That's our rule. We want to execute in all three departments.

"I think everybody is expecting a really good contest. We're up for the challenge. I think they're up for the challenge, as well."

India 230 for 4 (Rohit 122*, Dhoni 34, Rabada 2-39) beat South Africa 227 for 9 (Morris 42, du Plessis 38, Chahal 4-51, Bumrah 2-35) by six wickets

As it happened

Whoooooooosh.

That's the sound of ball beating bat. South Africa were not in control of nine of the first 12 balls that Jasprit Bumrah bowled.

Crrrraaaccckkkkkk.

That's the sound of ball hitting bat. And breaking it. Kagiso Rabada made sure the entire world could hear it. But outside of that match-up, South Africa really had nothing to offer India.

They'd lost Dale Steyn. They don't know when Lungi Ngidi will be fit again. And they can't ask AB de Villiers to come back. Meanwhile, the other team had the world's best batsman, one of the bowlers of this generation, and two highly-skilled wristspinners. Essentially, this game was like an Angry Bird fighting Thanos.

The impression hit home even further when Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav worked in tandem. From 78 for 2, it was quickly 89 for 5 as the revolutions those two put on the ball produced dip, drift and sheer magic.

Rassie van der Dussen tried to reverse sweep his way out of trouble and was bowled. JP Duminy tried to play off the back foot, hoping to read the turn off the pitch. Out lbw. Even their captain, Faf du Plessis, couldn't keep a slider from crashing into his stumps.

South Africa were on a recovery missing from that point on and though Chris Morris did rather well in the final overs, walloping 42 off 34 balls, the early damage was just too much. That is why Bumrah was the biggest influence in this game and watching him was a pleasure.

The fast bowler's glare tends to go down in history. But it's even cooler when they smirk. It's almost as if they're telling the batsmen, "heh, is it that easy to beat you?"

Bumrah's upper lip curled several times in his first over on World Cup debut. He had Quinton de Kock - a legitimate contender for Man of the Series in this tournament - looking like a cardboard cut-out. Everything zipped past the edge and each time, the bowler just smirked. Each time, all he did was smirk.

WATCH - Highlights of Chahal's magical spell on Hotstar

A wicket looked around the corner, except it was Hashim Amla who fell, caught at first slip, off the first ball he faced from Bumrah. Du Plessis walked in with four catchers behind him.

The level of cricket at this World Cup is also a function of the pitches being rolled out (and maybe the 10.30am starts as well). Groundsmen all across England have been good enough to leave a little grass on the pitches - it was uneven in Southampton, resulting in several balls kicking up off a length - and that's made the contest between bat and ball all the more compelling. So making runs here mattered. It signalled that you had the bottle to succeed. And Rohit Sharma showed plenty.

A few of his 122 runs came off mis-hits. He was even dropped on 1 when Rabada was in the middle of a scary good spell. But then, in the eighth over, he hit a glorious pull shot and never looked back. Braving through very difficult spells of fast bowling is a part of his game that doesn't get enough credit.

"Couldn't play my natural game," Rohit said at the presentation. "You have to play out and see what the ball was doing and take your time to play those shots. Certain shots that I love to play, I had to cut it down and make sure I play close to the body and make sure I leave as many balls as possible in the initial spell. Those are the basics that you had to do on a pitch like that and that's what I was trying to do."

Sticking to that gameplan meant he was there to help India recover from a poor start (They lost Shikhar Dhawan for 8). He was there when South Africa got rid of Virat Kohli thanks to a perfectly executed plan (consistently bowl back of a length and along the line of fifth stump). And he was still there when the winning runs were hit (Hardik Pandya putting the final flourish with a violent cut shot). You can't ask more of an opener.

South Africa, meanwhile, have a lot to think about. They've lost all three of their matches at this World Cup, and although the format allows for a slow start, the team is short on resources and practically bereft of confidence.

With first-match nerves out of the way, Mark Wood is ready to play his part in England's World Cup bounce-back effort starting with Saturday's match against Bangladesh.

Wood does not expect to necessarily keep his place in the team, despite taking two important wickets during England's 14-run defeat at the hands of Pakistan on Monday. Nor does he think the hosts and tournament favourites will attempt to re-invent the wheel in response to their loss.

Wood claimed 2 for 53 - including the wickets of Pakistan's top scorer, Mohammad Hafeez, for and dangerous batsman Asif Ali for just 14 - in a less-familiar middle-overs role, bowling in tandem with Moeen Ali after Chris Woakes and Jofra Archer had led the pace attack. Woakes shone with three wickets and a staggering four catches, Moeen also claimed three wickets while Archer conceded 79 runs in his wicket-less 10-over spell. That's not to say Wood escaped any tournament debut jitters, quite the contrary.

"I cannot say for the others, but I was nervous," Wood said. "First World Cup match. I was playing a slightly different role. I wanted to do well.

"Liam Plunkett has taken a million wickets in the middle overs and I was thinking the first thing I have to do is get a wicket. And I didn't get a wicket until the [43rd], and I was thinking, 'he's still the main man!' Yes, I was nervous, but good nerves.

"It was nice to have a couple of extra fielders out for a change. I'm used to bowling up top but this was a slightly different role. I felt Mo and myself did really well as a partnership. He was keeping it tight as well which meant I could attack a little more ... so a nice time to come on and show my value in a different role."

England will manage their fast bowlers' workloads carefully, particularly for Wood and Woakes, who have had long-term injury issues, which means none of them are guaranteed a place against Bangladesh.

"We'll pick whichever team best suits the conditions," Wood said. "I'm pleased personally that it has gone well. But for the next game, Cardiff is a place with big square boundaries and Liam Plunkett has bowled well there in the past so he would probably come back in. It's just who for or which bowler might be left out."

Avoiding the cliché of turning a loss into a positive, Wood gave the impression England were following Joe Root's advice and not hitting the panic button based on one defeat, which ultimately came down to poor fielding.

"It's never nice to lose so, yes, there are lessons learned but we've been learning lessons for four years. This isn't like a thing like we say we need to change the wheel," Wood said. "We weren't good enough in one area - the field - and that will be addressed before the next game. But I still think we're in a pretty good place.

"Maybe we will put it down as one of those days when we were beaten by a better team and we need to improve one aspect of our game ... we needed 11 Chris Woakeses in every position and we would have been all right. Now we train really hard and do a lot on our fielding.

"Whether it was the occasion, there were a lot of Pakistan fans, whether we got wound up by their batters, them smacking it, whether we just got too heated in the moment, I don't know. But it was unlike us, normally we are a really good fielding side."

And Wood backed his team to come back stronger against a Bangladesh team buoyed by their opening win against South Africa.

"We have a huge target on our back because we are the favourites for the tournament, the home side, everyone wants to beat us," he said. "What we have done well over the years is bounce back well and I think we need that going into the next match regardless of what it was - Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, whoever. We need to bounce back with a bit of authority and say that we're here to win it and put on a real show."

Sussex 481 for 9 dec (Van Zyl 173, Brown 107, Salt 50, Beer 50) beat Middlesex 138 (Wiese 5-26) and 293 (Harris 80, Simpson 76, Robinson 7-98) by an innings and 50 runs

Ollie Robinson returned his best figures of the season as Sussex finally overcame dogged Middlesex resistance on the final day to triumph at Lord's by an innings and 50 runs.

Robinson finished the match with 10 wickets, adding 7 for 98 to his first-innings 3 for 50 as the home side eventually succumbed after spirited knocks from James Harris and John Simpson had taken the match into a final hour.

Harris, with 80 from 211 balls, and Simpson, with 76 from 154, registered their highest scores of the season, combining gritty defiance with some classy strokeplay as they put together a partnership of 103 for the sixth wicket.

But Sussex, having failed to complete victories on the final day of their previous two County Championship games, stuck at it and forced the win - although they were forced to call on the services of coach Jason Gillespie as substitute fielder during the closing stages.

With Phil Salt and Laurie Evans both off the field injured, the former Australia international - who retired in 2008 - donned his whites to take up a position inside the boundary rope and witness Sussex's victory at close hand.

Resuming at 61 for 4 in the morning, Harris and Nick Gubbins helped to ensure that Middlesex would not be rolled over cheaply for a second time in the match as they compiled a stand of 58. Gubbins, with 33, looked strong on the off side, forcing boundaries off Mir Hamza and David Wiese before the latter dismissed him with a questionable lbw decision, the ball appearing to be missing off stump.

Harris and Simpson saw Middlesex through to lunch, but the all-rounder had a fortunate escape in the first over after the interval, fending off a Robinson bouncer that rolled on to the stumps but left the bails in place. He appeared to be unfazed, however, progressing to his third Championship half-century of the season with a sweet cover drive off Robinson soon after lunch and continuing to find gaps in the field as Middlesex kept the scoreboard moving.

With dark clouds overhead, Sussex finally used the spin of Will Beer for the first time in the match and he gave Harris another scare with an lbw shout that was turned down.

The partnership remained intact throughout the afternoon session, realising three figures when Hamza was recalled to take the new ball and saw it immediately dispatched to the boundary by Harris. But the Pakistan seamer made the breakthrough with his first delivery after tea, finding the outside edge to end Harris's stay of almost four and a half hours.

Meanwhile, Simpson advanced to 50 before surviving a couple of close calls - an edge that Salt fumbled at second slip and then a leg-before appeal by Wiese soon afterwards.

Robinson, having taken the first four wickets of the innings, belatedly completed his five-for by castling Toby Roland-Jones for a breezy 17.

Ollie Rayner announced his arrival at the crease with a string of boundaries, but Robinson struck again when he persuaded Simpson to fish outside off stump, with Chris Jordan taking the catch. Ethan Bamber soon followed and Hamza wrapped up proceedings by having last man Tim Murtagh caught in the slips with 12.4 overs to spare.

Surrey 231 (Patel 63, Foakes 57) and 99 for 2 (Burns 48, Brooks 2-22) trail Somerset 344 and 153 (Hildreth 64, Dunn 5-43) by 167 runs

An exciting, absorbing third day's play at Guildford saw 17 wickets tumble and ended with Surrey, the 2018 champions, still believing that a remarkable first victory of the season is possible against Somerset, last year's runners-up.

Needing 267 to win, Surrey will start the final day on 99 for 2, with Scott Borthwick on 35 not out after adding a determined 72 in 27 overs for the second wicket with Rory Burns, who slog-swept left-arm spinner Jack Leach for six and also hit eight fours in an excellent 48.

Jack Brooks, who also bowled Mark Stoneman for 12 in his second over with the new ball, struck a potentially crucial blow just before the close, however, when he had Burns, Surrey's captain, caught at first slip. Scoring the remaining 168 runs Surrey require will not be an easy task.

In seam-friendly conditions, under overcast skies, Surrey had earlier resurrected their chances in dramatic fashion, Matt Dunn taking a career-best 5 for 43 as Somerset's last seven second-innings wickets fell for 39 and they were bowled out for 153.

James Hildreth's silky 64 from 80 balls, including 11 fours and by far the best batting of the day, had threatened to put the game beyond Surrey's reach after a hostile new-ball spell of 6-2-12-2 from Morne Morkel had removed openers Tom Abell and Marcus Trescothick.

Tom Banton then fell to Dunn, leg-before for 12 on the stroke of lunch, to leave Somerset 50 for 3 but Hildreth and first-innings centurion George Bartlett added 64 for the fourth wicket to put the visitors seemingly in complete control.

Ryan Patel, however, who was last out for a defiant 63 when Surrey slid from their overnight 188 for 5 to 231 all out, then shaped one into Hildreth's pads to win a leg-before appeal - the ball appearing to hit pad and then bat - and, suddenly, Somerset were struggling to build the lead of above 300 that would surely have made them overwhelming favourites.

Bartlett, on 16, edged Rikki Clarke to be athletically caught to his right by keeper Ben Foakes, and then Morkel and Dunn sparked the Somerset collapse. Still, the victory target is a stiff one on a pitch that makes batting a testing business, especially against the new ball.

At the start of the day, Craig Overton's opening spell of 5-1-12-3 had set the tone for what was to follow, with Surrey losing their last five wickets for 41 runs in 14 overs.

But Somerset's second innings began with Abell and Trescothick, respectively, caught at gully for 9 and behind the wicket for 12, although the latter clearly did not think he had touched the ball. Morkel, however, was extracting fearsome lift and, even with an older ball when he was brought back in mid-afternoon, facing the giant South African was not for the faint-hearted.

Morkel, on his return, had Craig Overton caught and bowled for 1 with his first ball - which spat from just short of a length to take the shoulder of the bat and loop so high into the air that the bowler could run forwards and take the catch just beside the batsman.

Dunn then finished off the innings in some style, having Jamie Overton caught behind for 2, trapping Steven Davies leg-before for 16 and, after tea, bowling Jack Leach for 5 and also swinging one back into Tim Groenewald's stumps to dismiss him for 10.

Craig Overton's early morning burst earned him final figures of 5 for 38 in Surrey's first innings. Will Jacks did not add to his overnight 13 before edging to second slip, Clarke steered to gully after a bright and breezy 20 and Morkel miscued to mid-on without scoring.

Jamie Overton ended with 3 for 46, with Patel skying an intended pull to mid on, and Groenewald picked up the other Surrey wicket to fall, that of Gareth Batty for a duck, as the seamers of both sides dominated the day.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts general manager Chris Ballard says he knew Stanford's Bobby Okereke had been accused of sexual assault in 2015 when he drafted the linebacker in April.

"When we looked at it and talked about it and talking to the young man, an incident from four years ago, no discipline by the university [and] he was never charged with a crime," Ballard said Wednesday. "And then you look at his track record from that point to now. Team captain. Lott Trophy quarterfinalist. He graduated with a degree in management and engineering. He's working on his master's. From 2015 to 2019, from everything we gathered and high recommendations that we got, it felt appropriate to take him."

Okereke was forthcoming about what occurred in 2015 when he met with the Colts at the Senior Bowl in January, Ballard said. The general manager said the team investigated the situation, including reviewing the documents from the ensuing Title IX case, and felt comfortable selecting the linebacker in the third round.

According to a New York Times story in December 2016, an unnamed Stanford football player was not disciplined by the school or football team after an in-house disciplinary board made up of five panelists did not get the necessary four votes to say they believed he sexually assaulted the accuser. Three of five did believe the accuser, according to the newspaper. Ballard said Okereke told the team that he was the player in the article when he was asked at the Senior Bowl if the Colts should be aware of any issues in his past.

"[These things are] very difficult," Ballard said. "Not only from our perspective from trying to get the information, but from the university perspective. You have a he-said, she-said incident. I don't want to sit here and act like we don't have sensitivity for both sides of it. But as I've kind of said, it happened four years ago and because there were no charges or disciplinary actions by the university and then his track record from everything we know to this point has been good."

The general manager acknowledged Wednesday that the team did not talk to the accuser or her lawyer due to the fact that there were no charges or discipline handed down by Stanford officials.

Ballard, who has put a premium on character inside the locker room as he continues reshaping the organization, was asked why he did not reveal the information about Okereke sooner.

"I didn't see it [as] appropriate considering he had never been charged or disciplined by the university. That's the reason why we did not give you that information," Ballard said.

The woman accusing Cristiano Ronaldo of raping her has shifted the venue for her legal charges against the football superstar, dropping her case in Nevada state court but filing identical charges against Ronaldo in federal court, according to her attorney.

Several news media outlets reported early Wednesday that the charges filed by Kathryn Mayorga, who alleges that Ronaldo raped her in 2009, had been "quietly dropped," implying that the case was over.

But Larissa Drohobyczer, who is one of Mayorga's attorneys, told ESPN that the change of venue was simply a response to the difficulty that the lawyers have had in serving Ronaldo, who lives in Italy, with notice of the state lawsuit.

"The charges were not dropped," Drohobyczer told ESPN. "The state case was dismissed by us because we filed the identical claims in federal court due to federal court's rules on serving foreigners. We basically just switched venues, but the claims remain."

A source said that Ronaldo's agency, Gestifute, was not aware that the state case was dropped.

Mayorga says that Ronaldo raped her during an encounter in a hotel penthouse suite, then paid her $375,000 to keep quiet about it. Last year, Mayorga filed a lawsuit saying the previous settlement was invalid and that Ronaldo violated its terms anyway. Ronaldo's Las Vegas-based lawyer, Peter Christiansen, did not return a message seeking comment on Wednesday. Ronaldo has previously denied the allegations against him.

The Las Vegas police are also investigating potential criminal charges against Ronaldo, and that investigation remains open.

It has been two years since striker Ada Hegerberg, 23, informed the Norwegian soccer federation that she would not play for her national team until she saw more tangible progress toward equal working conditions and overall support for the women's program. She has never wavered in that decision, despite some initiatives by Norwegian officials, and will watch the 2019 Women's World Cup from home this summer.

But it won't be a vacation, as she told ESPN.com senior writer Bonnie D. Ford earlier this year. Hegerberg's incandescent talent -- honed by her five seasons with superclub Olympique Lyonnais and her solo workouts during breaks for international play -- have lifted her to the top of the game, embodied when she hoisted the inaugural women's Ballon d'Or trophy last year. That was before she scored a hat trick within 17 minutes in May to secure Lyon's fourth consecutive Champions League title.

ESPN: Given that there isn't salary parity between men and women, what are the most important details here [in Lyon] that make you feel as if you're being treated equally?

HEGERBERG: It's the amount of respect and the fact that we're equal in terms of conditions, the pitches we have, eating in the same canteen and really taking a part in the club together with the men's team. People stay here a long time because they love it, they actually have a comfortable life here, and they can live from football and compete at the highest level.

There are some countries with very strong clubs, such as France, that have not succeeded in the World Cup. The United States? Total opposite: great success in the World Cup, and our club system has struggled. Why do you think there's that disconnect?

In the U.S., they have spent so much more time together in the national team rather than the club. Here it's different. You have your everyday life in the club, and then you go to the national team maybe once every second month. I've heard a lot of people talking about how big the World Cup is going to be, and I really hope that happens. But we forget the fact that you have all the interest in a big tournament, then suddenly, bam! You go back to your club, and you have, like, 200 people watching your games. So bringing the buzz from big tournaments into your everyday club life, getting people to show up at your games, that's important. For example, when we played the final of the 2013 Euros [in Sweden], we played in front of 40,000 people, and some players from Norway were playing in league games the weekend after in front of, like, 200 people. It was a shock -- for everyone.

What gave you the mental and emotional strength to make the decision to not play with Norway?

I'm in a club that has standards, and I'm used to that. My family, we're all about quality, so I put the bar quite high. I demand a lot of things from myself, but then I also demand that everything should be in place around me so that we can succeed.

I was trying to make an impact [on Norway] for a lot of years, and I could see that in this system, in the federation, it didn't fit me at all. I feel like I was placed in a system where I didn't have a voice. I felt this weight on my shoulders more and more: This isn't working. When you're quite sure about yourself and the values and where you want to go, it's easy to make difficult choices. For me at that point, being able not to lose myself and not to lose what I believe in, I had to take that choice. I couldn't go any other way. And as soon as I did it, it was like [exhales], I could be myself again. I could perform on the highest level again.

But those weeks in front of that decision were almost like a depression. It was such a hard thing to do. It can't be easy when a woman stands and tries to be critical in a positive way. For me, it was really important that [the federation] knew what I was talking about, point by point. When the media asked me what I told the federation, I said, that's between me and them so they can work on it. But it doesn't seem like they took it in the way they should have. Ever since, I just put that behind me and try to perform at the highest level with Lyon.

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Then in a cosmic coincidence, Norway winds up in the same group as France. Do you think you'll follow it closely?

I'm going to watch the World Cup, no doubt. I've got a lot of teammates playing. But there's no emotional connection. I'm totally confident with my decision since day one. It took me to the highest levels, the Ballon d'Or.

I saw the Ballon d'Or trophy downstairs in the club museum. Was it hard for you to give it up?

I was just so afraid of keeping it at my place. I'm going to let it stay here for some time, and one day I'll bring it home when I get a proper alarm.

How do you view what the U.S. players are doing, suing their federation for equal pay?

They've got the guts, and they're together about it. That's the next thing. Women need to back women in cases like this, even more than we do today. If each woman stands up and uses her voice, imagine how many voices would be together and how strong a mass that would be. And I feel that responsibility myself as well. Even though sometimes I would be like, [sighs] "Am I really going to take on that fight?" I would always think, but what will it bring for the future, for others? That's in the back in my head, behind every decision I make. I got this question from a journalist as well: Do you consider yourself a football player or a feminist?

Why do you have to choose?

Yeah! It's impossible to play football in a world among men and not fight for equality. We're all feminists. Playing football can be damn harsh, but every day is a fight for equality. That's a fact. We've made it here [in Lyon] because you've got one man at the top believing in us. But it's still a long, long way to go, and you can see it in small examples every day.

We're still in a time when an insult to a woman can gain more attention than an accomplishment. There's the question [about twerking] you were asked at the Ballon d'Or presentation.

I didn't take it as sexist. I just thought it was a really stupid question at a really stupid time. If he'd asked M'bappe that question, they would be like, what is he doing?

It put you in an impossible situation. If you don't say anything, you're not strong enough, and if you react strongly, you're too strong.

Exactly. You can't say anything without getting consequences. But I always have humor for it as well. You should have balance between humor and what's not acceptable.

It's tiring, right?

Sometimes I would call my mom, and I would be so angry. That doesn't happen that often, but sometimes you see stuff even outside football, and it just goes into me at a certain moment, and it's like, why? Where is this going to end? Is there a better future? But then I get a grip, and it's like [exhales], let's go again.

You have a lot of years ahead. It's not like it's the end of your career -- knock on wood.

Yeah. [Laughs] But seriously, I want to show what I'm good at, on the pitch and outside the pitch. I never considered myself less worthy than a man in football. Never. Never, never, never. It's all about changing attitudes.

I understand you like biographies. What's the last one you read?

It was about Muhammad Ali.

What did you get from that book?

He was a hard-working man. I try to read a lot of women's biographies as well because I think there are a lot more women out there who are like Alis.

What keeps you hungry?

Improving. And winning. The way I work, I always ask myself: What did go well this year, and what do we need to work on? I always have a plan in my head. I do it with my crew at home, my family and my fiancé, a physical coach, a mental coach. It's demanding sometimes, even when it goes well. So when the Ballon d'Or came, it was like "Hallelujah!" That was the timing I needed.

The joy of repeating is quite different from the joy of doing something for the first time.

My motivation is staying at the top as long as possible. I know that I'm capable of it. I've had some years at the top now, but I know I can continue if I do things right.