At Inter, I was the best-paid player in the world. But it's not a question of money, because when I go out onto the pitch, I only have one thing in mind - winning.
— Samuel Eto'o
They called me Little Milla. He was one of the best in the world, not just in Africa. A lot of us think he did not win the best player in the world award just because he was African. It was an honour to have the name - he was an inspiration.
I've worked hard and dreamed, and that helped me become one of the best players in the world.
People can attack me personally, say what they want - I don't give a damn.
I wanted to prove that a young boy coming from Africa was able to succeed and achieve a lot.
My dream was to become a footballer, hope to become the best someday. And I worked for it. And I'll tell you that the work is the magic of success.
In all things, you need a good organization. You can have the best player in the world; if you do not have the best team, you will not win.
Why don't you think we should dream of an African team winning the World Cup for the first time? People never allow this thought to cross their minds, and it is shameful. When you try to even say it, people look at you as if you're joking, but they forget that dreaming is the first step to success.
At Barca, we always have an obligation to win and to do it in style for our fans in the stadiums and around the world.
I experienced great sadness with our elimination from the 1990 World Cup, with many penalties. I still have that feeling of injustice in me.
In Europe, I always say that Barcelona and Real Madrid are the ones to look out for.
No one wants to work for little money; otherwise, they would be living on the streets.
My relationship with Laporta? I always had a direct relationship with him, in that if I said something, we would be able to discuss it like men.
When Ronaldinho arrived at Barcelona, they did not win anything. After my arrival, we won it all.
I've always had fun in Miami.
I have a great life, and I can't really complain.
Sometimes, the fact that you're a footballer makes you think that racism can't happen to you because you bring that passion and you express a lot of things. When it happened to me, I couldn't believe it, and in that moment, I decided to walk off the pitch.
The money I have earned has given me the opportunity to give back to the people who do not have the same opportunities as me.
It is really important to have someone who tells the truth all the time.
I come from one of the poorest countries in the world, and Cameroon is also one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
I know how to score goals. That's what I've done all my life, and that's what I'll continue doing.
When I left Cameroon, I was 15 years old... I had one dream - it was to conquer the world.
I grew up in a family where my father always told me, defend your ideas when you think your ideas are good, and struggle to get your story written. And I've always fought for that.
By God's grace and strength of my work, I've managed to build a respectable image that I use to serve both my continent and my country.
I have the belief that all the qualified teams can create surprises at the World Cup and not just the traditional top favourites.
Anything can happen in life, but you have to be a man and sometimes say certain things.
Cameroon can win the World Cup. People think I am crazy when I say this, but if you believe you have the best team in the world, you are stronger.
If one day God gives me the opportunity to coach Cameroon, it would be a great pleasure.
Jose Mourinho is one of the best managers with whom I have worked. I had a chance not only to have him as a coach but as a colleague, a friend, a big brother. I had a chance to learn from him, and he was open to receiving advice from me as well, even though I think he knew it all.
All my coaches will tell you that I am a great professional.
Messi is a god, as a person and even more as a player. I hope that he wins the World Cup with Argentina.
I have been to the States many times. What I enjoy most is the feeling of being undercover, that no one recognizes me. When I go to the airport almost anywhere in Europe or Africa, I am recognized.
Football is beautiful. Football is beautiful because whether you win, draw, or lose, you can go and shake your opponent's hand, whether they're white or black or red or blue.
If one of my own makes a mistake, they judge us all. Tomorrow, if a white man in Africa makes a mistake, we should judge all white people? No!
Money is not the most important to me.
Football stadiums are just a reflection of what is going on in society. Many times in stadiums, people just feel more relaxed and say what they think when they're somewhere else.
If the Ballon d'Or was fair, Xavi would have won five or six. He deserves all the respect in the world.
I've always felt comfortable, but in football, there are lows.
When I was growing up, I thought everything was a life of friendship, respect, and sharing. But I discovered that unfortunately, you have people who aren't behaving in the same way but have hatred.
My dream when I was younger was that my parents could watch me on television.
You can have all the problems in the world, but you have to see out your mission.
I have always said that the debate about who should play in goal is part of the game, but I never play in order to silence anyone.
Guardiola has never been a great player; he was just a good player.
I've never thought about leaving Anzhi since I came here. Not for a single second.
A lot of people criticised me when I opted to leave Italy for Russia. However, I'm convinced that I made the right decision to leave Inter.
I think all of us want to work and get paid what we are worth.
I've been a role model in terms of discipline, and I have always been rigorous and professional.
I try to represent Africa and Cameroon as well as I can.
It is important to feel the support of my family. Mentally, I can get away from everything that is football when I come home to be with them. Yes, work is a pleasure, but there will always be family.
A child comes to see his father play, have fun, make people happy, and what does he see? He sees people booing his father for being black. They make monkey noises. They throw bananas at his teammates and all that.
