RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil legend Cafu has ignited a global debate by declaring that Neymar is technically superior to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, throwing his full support behind the 34-year-old forward as Brazil prepares for the 2026 World Cup. The 2002 World Cup-winning captain made the bold claim in a wide-ranging interview, praising Neymar’s unparalleled dribbling, vision and creativity while acknowledging the greatness of the two modern icons.

Cafu, widely regarded as one of the finest right-backs in football history and a two-time World Cup winner, did not mince words when assessing Neymar’s place among the game’s elite. “Technically, Neymar is better than both Cristiano and Lionel,” Cafu told Brazilian media outlet Globo Esporte. “His close control, the way he sees the game, the dribbling — it is on another level. If he stays fit and focused, he can lead Brazil to glory in 2026.”

The comments immediately went viral, sparking passionate discussions across social media, podcasts and football talk shows. While many Brazilian fans celebrated the endorsement of their national hero, international observers offered more measured reactions, noting Neymar’s undoubted talent but highlighting Ronaldo and Messi’s superior goal tallies, consistency and trophy cabinets.

Neymar, who joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal in 2023, has battled recurring injuries in recent years that have limited his appearances for both club and country. Despite this, he remains Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals in 128 caps. His flair and creativity have long been compared to legendary Brazilian predecessors like Pelé, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo Nazário, but questions about his mentality and physical durability have often overshadowed his brilliance on the pitch.

Cafu, who captained Brazil to victory in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, drew on his own experiences to support his assessment. “I played with and against the best,” he said. “Neymar has that special something — the joy, the improvisation. When he is at his best, defenders simply cannot stop him. Ronaldo and Messi are incredible finishers and winners, but technically, in pure football terms, Neymar stands out.”

The timing of Cafu’s remarks is significant. With the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico just months away, Brazil is under pressure to deliver after disappointing performances in recent tournaments. Coach Dorival Júnior has built the squad around Neymar, hoping the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star can recapture the form that made him one of the most exciting players on the planet.

Neymar’s club form in Saudi Arabia has been mixed. While he has contributed with goals and assists, the league’s physical demands and travel schedule have raised concerns about his fitness for international duty. Brazilian football federation officials have worked closely with Al-Hilal to manage his workload, prioritizing his availability for national team commitments.

The comparison with Ronaldo and Messi is inevitable but complex. Ronaldo, 41, continues to score prolifically for Al-Nassr and Portugal, recently becoming the all-time leading international goalscorer. Messi, 38, led Argentina to Copa América glory and the 2022 World Cup before moving to Inter Miami. Both players have cemented their legacies with multiple Ballon d’Or awards and major tournament triumphs.

Neymar, by contrast, has never won a Ballon d’Or and has yet to lift a major senior international trophy with Brazil, though he was part of the gold medal-winning team at the 2016 Olympics. His supporters point to moments of sheer genius — the dribbles, no-look passes and audacious goals — as evidence of a higher technical ceiling. Critics counter that elite football is ultimately about winning, where Ronaldo and Messi have delivered consistently at the highest level.

Cafu’s backing carries significant weight. As one of only three players to win the World Cup twice as captain (alongside Bellini and Pelé), his opinion resonates deeply in Brazilian football circles. He has previously praised Neymar’s talent while urging him to embrace leadership responsibilities, a message he reiterated in the recent interview.

“Neymar needs to stay healthy and believe in himself,” Cafu added. “Brazil has always produced magical players. Neymar is the latest in that line. With the right support and mindset, he can bring the World Cup home again.”

The comments have divided football fans globally. Brazilian supporters largely welcomed the endorsement, seeing it as validation of their belief in Neymar’s potential. International fans offered more balanced views, acknowledging Neymar’s skill while defending the achievements of Ronaldo and Messi.

Social media platforms lit up with debates, memes and video compilations comparing the three players’ best moments. Hashtags like #NeymarBetter and #CafuSpokeTruth trended in Brazil, while global football communities engaged in lengthy discussions about technical ability versus overall legacy.

As Brazil prepares for friendlies and World Cup qualifiers, all eyes will be on Neymar’s fitness and form. Coach Dorival Júnior has expressed confidence in his star player, building the team’s attacking strategy around his creativity and vision. The squad also features rising talents like Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and Endrick, creating a potent mix of experience and youth.

The 2026 World Cup represents a crucial moment for Neymar. At 34, it may be his last realistic chance to win football’s greatest prize. Cafu’s public support adds pressure but also motivation, positioning Neymar as the heir to Brazil’s rich footballing tradition.

Whether Neymar can translate his technical brilliance into World Cup success remains to be seen. What is clear is that Cafu’s comments have reignited the conversation about one of football’s most gifted yet enigmatic talents. As the countdown to 2026 continues, Brazil and the football world will watch closely to see if Neymar can finally deliver on his immense potential.

Ownership of the 14 year old agency has transferred to Sarah McKevitt, Lia Gordon and Katie Toman

A Tyneside digital marketing agency is looking to the future following a successful management buyout. The team at Gosforth based Podium has completed the MBO with ownership transferring to three long-standing members of its senior team.

Ownership of Podium, which specialises in SEO, PPC (Pay-Per-Click) and social media management, has transferred to Sarah McKevitt, Lia Gordon and Katie Toman. Founder and managing director Andy Thevarokiam, who set up the company in 2012, is stepping back from day-to-day leadership.

Ms McKevitt, Ms Toman and Ms Gordon have held long-standing roles within the company and have been closely involved in its growth over a number of years. They will now jointly lead the next phase of the business, with a focus on continuity for clients and further development of the agency’s offering.

They said the deal ensures the company remains independent, and that they plan to boost their local client base by 20% over the next year.

Mr Thevarokiam will remain involved while handing over operational control to the new ownership team. He said: “This decision comes with a great deal of pride. It’s not goodbye, but the start of something new.

“Sarah, Lia and Katie have been central to the business for years and know it inside out. The service and results our clients expect will remain unchanged, with fresh energy driving the next phase. The business is in safe hands, and I’ll continue to support the team as they take it forward.”

Ms McKevitt added: “The chance to lead a business I’ve helped shape since 2017 was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

“We are staying true to the values Andy instilled, exceptional results and a modern, flexible workplace, while pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve for our clients over the next 12 months.”

The agency will continue to operate under the Podium brand.

The Cardiff-based family law firm was established in 1996 with co-founder Mel Hamer with an appetite for sustained growth

A leading family law firm is celebrating 30 years as it continues to expand. Cardiff-based Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice was established as the first specialist family law firm in Wales, and one of the first in the UK, in May 1996.

It launched with just two partners, one paralegal and three secretaries – drawn from the family law team at the Cardiff office of Eversheds (now Eversheds Sutherland). The firm was then known as Wendy Hopkins & Co.

Melanie Hamer, one of its original co-founders, along with the late Wendy Hopkins, is still with the firm today.

Director Ms Hamer said: “I was just 30 years old, newly married and was presented with this enormous opportunity by Eversheds. It was a risk, as with all new firms, but I felt at the time it was a manageable risk. I decided that I would give it three years and if it did not work, I could always get out and get a job. I had to borrow just £35,000 from the bank to co-finance the firm at the beginning.

Fast forward 30 years and the firm’s revenues have grown from £220,000 gross in its first year of trading to nearly £3m in its last financial year. The team has increased from six to 22.

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Ms Hamer said: “We started on client number 100 because we did not want anybody to be client number 1 and for the outside world to think we didn’t have any clients. We are now on client number 13,365 meaning that over the last thirty years we have serviced 13,265 clients.

“I can’t quite believe my luck. I never set out with a big ambition or business plan to be one of the best family law firms in the UK. In the early days, I just hoped to make enough money to pay my mortgage.

“The success of the firm has exceeded all my wildest expectations, and I have great faith in my team that it will continue the great reputation of the firm for years to come, and we shall continue to punch above our weight, often attracting work from London as well as closer to Wales.”

The firm’s clients include high net worth individuals, celebrities, sports personalities and business owners. It recently acted on a case worth £77m.

The firms’ ownership structure also evolved over the years. At launch the only option available was to be a partnership. As soon as it able to it became a limited liability partnership (LLP) and latterly a limited company. It has expanded from two partners to five directors and three shareholders. Originally operating out of rented office space at 26 Windsor Place, it now own occupies 10,000 sq ft of owned space at the 12 and 13 Windsor Place.

On the success of the firm over the last 30 years, Ms Hamer said: “It is a combination of matters. We employ clever and conscientious people, and we make sure we look after them. From day one we have grown organically by taking lawyers on as paralegals and then in due course promoting them to trainee solicitor and then solicitor etc. Indeed, one of my shareholders and directors started as my trainee in the year 2000.

” Another director and shareholder started as a paralegal in 2011. The firm genuinely feels like a part of my extended family, and I care deeply about them all. I was also blessed with being in partnership until two years ago with one of my best friends, Thea Hughes, who retired in May 2024.

Ms Hamer, 60, says she no plans to retire. She added: “I still love my job, and I still feel that I do a good job, so as long as I continue to tick those boxes, then I see no reason to retire.”

NEW YORK — Celcuity Inc. shares surged more than 13.8 percent to $143 in early trading Monday, May 4, 2026, after the clinical-stage oncology company announced that its Phase 3 VIKTORIA-1 trial met the primary endpoint with clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival for patients with PIK3CA-mutant advanced breast cancer. The positive topline results for gedatolisib sent the biotech stock to new highs and reignited investor enthusiasm for the company’s targeted therapy pipeline just weeks before a potential FDA submission.

Celcuity reported that both the gedatolisib triplet and doublet regimens demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival compared to the control arm in the PIK3CA mutant cohort. The data, released late Friday, May 1, triggered a sharp after-hours rally that carried into Monday’s session. The company said the results support advancing toward a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) filing with the FDA, with a potential PDUFA target in July 2026.

The VIKTORIA-1 trial evaluated gedatolisib in combination with standard therapies for HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer patients who had progressed after prior CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment. Gedatolisib, a first-in-class PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, targets a pathway frequently altered in breast cancer. Positive data in the PIK3CA mutant population — a subgroup with historically poorer outcomes — positions the drug as a potential new standard of care option in a market estimated to exceed $5 billion annually at peak.

Celcuity CEO Brian Sullivan called the results a “transformational milestone” for the company and patients. “These data demonstrate gedatolisib’s potential to meaningfully improve outcomes in a population with significant unmet need,” Sullivan said in the company’s release. The firm is now accelerating commercial launch preparations while advancing additional indications for the drug across multiple solid tumors.

The stock reaction reflects high expectations. Celcuity has been on many biotech investors’ radars due to gedatolisib’s profile and its near-term regulatory timeline. Analysts have issued bullish price targets, with some projecting peak annual revenue exceeding $2.5 billion if the drug secures approval across multiple lines of therapy. Monday’s surge pushed the company’s market capitalization well above $6 billion.

The trial success comes at a pivotal time for Celcuity. The company has been advancing its precision medicine platform, which uses live tumor cell testing to identify patients most likely to benefit from targeted therapies. Gedatolisib represents the lead asset in this approach, and positive Phase 3 data significantly de-risks the program while strengthening its position ahead of potential partnership or commercialization discussions.

Broader market context amplified the move. Biotech stocks have shown renewed strength in 2026 amid improving regulatory sentiment and investor appetite for late-stage assets with clear paths to approval. Celcuity’s data stands out for its statistical robustness and clinical relevance in a competitive breast cancer landscape dominated by CDK4/6 inhibitors and antibody-drug conjugates.

Analysts reacted swiftly. Citizens initiated coverage with a Market Outperform rating and $150 price target earlier in the week, citing the drug’s potential. Other firms have highlighted the July 2026 PDUFA timeline as a key catalyst. While some caution remains around commercial execution and competition, the overall sentiment has turned increasingly bullish following the topline readout.

For patients and physicians, the results offer hope for better options in later-line HR+/HER2- breast cancer. PIK3CA mutations occur in approximately 40 percent of cases, and effective targeted therapies have been limited. Gedatolisib’s mechanism and tolerability profile could fill an important gap if approved.

Celcuity has cash reserves to support operations through key milestones, including potential approval and launch. The company continues enrolling patients in additional trials exploring gedatolisib in other settings and tumor types, positioning it for potential label expansion in the years ahead.

As trading continued Monday morning, volume remained elevated and the stock held near session highs. The move underscores the biotech sector’s sensitivity to clinical data, where positive Phase 3 readouts can drive outsized gains even in a broader market environment focused on macro signals and Federal Reserve policy.

Looking forward, all eyes are on the full dataset presentation at an upcoming medical meeting and the company’s regulatory strategy. If the FDA accepts the filing with priority review, approval could come as early as late 2026, setting the stage for Celcuity’s transition from clinical developer to commercial-stage oncology company.

The surge in Celcuity stock serves as a reminder of the high-reward potential in targeted oncology. For investors who backed the company through its development phase, Monday’s gains validate the long-term bet on gedatolisib. As the story unfolds, the biotech community will watch closely to see whether this positive momentum translates into sustained value creation in the competitive breast cancer market.