Roger Bennett

Norway is the best bet to win the World Cup at 25-1 odds

I would put all of my money, Big Cat... on I love Norway, man. Norway, they've not been in the tournament for a generation. They've got a talented squad... Erling Haaland... is that man... With him leading this talented squad... ninth best odds... Norway best bets to just impulsive man.

American sports owners like Stan Kroenke and the Glazers tried to turn European football into WrestleMania

And in came the American sports owners... Stan Kroenke, who it's not clear to me actually knows he owns Arsenal... you've got the Glazers... and they've got ideas... it was a bit like that old sci-fi show V where we welcomed in the aliens who seem nice... to try and turn what is precious, what has grown over a century, just that evolution, the history, the traditions, and to try and turn that into WrestleMania was a bit dark.

Neymar's flopping is actually a profile in courage and bravery

I think it's so harsh on Neymar. I mean, I see him as a profiling courage and bravery. I just see the pain, the agony, I mean, just the savage damage that is done to his body... he loses limbs in the game... Neymar gets up when he's broken, had his leg broken, and he says, don't worry, lads, I'm going to brush this off.

Tiger Woods will have an incredible run at the British Open but lose to Lee Trevino

I predict that Tiger will have an incredible run, and ultimately, Lee Trevino will pip him.

Liverpool is the Baltimore of England

Liverpool was a dark place, burning itself down. A bit like Baltimore. It's the Baltimore of England. ... And when I grew up, it was burning itself down under Margaret Thatcher.

Mo Salah is not elite yet because he needs to perform at a high level for more than one year

[Mo Salah] is a remarkable human being... But you look at your American sports. You look at gentlemen who have an explosive year... Brady Anderson... you've got to bring it for more than one year to pass the Brady Andersonometer.

Messi is the greatest footballer ever, better than Cristiano Ronaldo

I am always Team Messi. Always. Messi is the greatest footballer I have ever seen in my life for so many different reasons.

LeBron James would have been the greatest soccer player ever if he played as a kid

If [LeBron James] played when he was a little kid, would he be the best ever? ... Muggsy Bogues could have been our Lionel Messi. Five foot six, innocuous looking, incredibly coordinated.

France and Belgium are fantasy football teams with too much talent and questionable coaching

[Belgium and France] are remarkable talent-wise. You look at that roster, it's like a murderer's row. ... what neither of them have is a true idea of how they want to play football. It's a Premier League kind of Pro Bowl team.

Don't bet against Russia in the World Cup because FIFA always lets host dictators win for propaganda

I wouldn't bet against Russia. ... FIFA... they've got a history of dropping [the World Cup] into the hornet's nest of dictators looking for an easy propaganda win.

Iceland has a genuine chance to win the World Cup because of their Viking belief

The only other team that expects to win every game is Iceland. ... They can do anything because when you interview them, they'll say to you, Viking blood flows through our veins. And you'll be like, I'm not kidding. So they believe it.

Big Cat is one of the worst owners in sports for what happened to Swansea City

I do believe Big Cat is one of the worst owners in sport. ... Swansea is an incredible community club that has just brought joy to the lives of thousands of Welsh humans over generations. And then in strolls, Big Cat... it's a tragedy what's happened to Swansea Football Club.

Spain will win the 2018 World Cup

America will love the circus. So who's going to win? Spain will win. Spain's going to win.