Frankie Dettori will call time on one of racing's greatest careers next year after the Italian superstar jockey announced his retirement plans.
The 52-year-old is a two-time winner of the Derby and has been British flat racing's Champion Jockey crown three times, also enjoying a record six victories at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in Paris.
He famously won seven out of seven races at Ascot on September 28, 1996, arguably the pinnacle of his career even if it did not contain his biggest victories.
Dettori said he wanted to "stop at the top" and revealed seeing football legend Cristiano Ronaldo fall out of favour with Manchester United and Portugal recently played a part in his thinking.
Speaking on Saturday, Dettori told ITV Racing: "Next year, 2023, will be my final professional year as a jockey. It's something I've been thinking about for a while.
"I'll be riding right through. It will be my last Guineas, last Derby, my last Royal Ascot, so on and so forth, and finish at the end of the season, it could be Champions Day [at Ascot] or Newmarket, and then probably have the final farewell as a professional rider in California at the Breeders' Cup.
"I want to stop at the top. I think I'm still in that bracket of being good, and it was difficult, but I think it's the right time.
"I'm not making comparisons, but look at Ronaldo who was playing one minute and was on the bench the next, and I don't want to end up like that.
"I don't want to end up where I'm struggling to get rides in the big races. At the moment, I still have good horses to ride, and I want to finish like that."
Dettori has won 21 British Classics and has had 14 winners at the Breeders' Cup plus 77 victories at Royal Ascot.
His first UK winner came in 1987, aboard Lizzy Hare at Goodwood, and he has since had over 3,000 winners worldwide.
According to ITV, fellow great AP McCoy compared Dettori to footballing royalty.
"He's racing's Lionel Messi, you can't teach a kid to ride like Frankie Dettori," McCoy said.
Ronaldo retains Portugal place ahead of Nations League openers
Cristiano Ronaldo has retained his place in the Portugal squad for their opening 2024-25 Nations League fixtures versus Croatia and Scotland.
Ronaldo is both Portugal's most-capped player and their leading all-time goalscorer, netting 130 goals in 212 senior caps, with both of those figures also being records for any nation in men's international football.
However, the 39-year-old's international future was called into question in the aftermath of Euro 2024, where the Selecao reached the last eight in unconvincing fashion before losing to France in a penalty shoot-out.
Ronaldo endured a miserable tournament, failing to score from 23 shots with a total expected goals (xG) value of 3.6.
Only Kylian Mbappe (24) attempted more shots at goal at the tournament, while only Germany's Kai Havertz – who scored twice – posted a higher xG figure (4.12).
However, Ronaldo will continue to lead Portugal next month as they begin the next international cycle, potentially with an eye on appearing at his 12th major tournament at the 2026 World Cup.
Boss Roberto Martinez told reporters of Ronaldo's inclusion: "All players after the age of 30 have to face their career step by step, but Ronaldo's level is unique.
"Playing at the level he is playing, having the physical data he has... It's incredible. Individual goals are part of the players' careers, for us the goals are collective.
"Cristiano gave everything at the European Championship, we all gave everything, but we have to look ahead. Cristiano is important now for the national team, but no one can talk about the future."
Full Portugal squad: Diogo Costa (FC Porto), Jose Sa (Wolves), Rui Silva (Real Betis), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Antonio Silva (Benfica), Renato Veiga (Chelsea), Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Tiago Santos (Lille), Diogo Dalot (Manchester United), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Nelson Semedo (Wolves), Joao Palhinha (Bayern Munich), Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain), Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal), Joao Felix (Chelsea), Francisco Trincao (Sporting CP), Pedro Goncalves (Sporting CP), Rafael Leao (Milan), Geovany Quenda (Sporting CP), Pedro Neto (Chelsea), Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr), Diogo Jota (Liverpool).
All-time leading scorer Ronaldo targets 1,000 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo has outlined his ambition to score 1,000 career goals before he brings his remarkable career to a close.
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star now plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, breaking that competition's single-season scoring record last term.
He has scored a mammoth total of 899 goals for both club and country, the most of any player in a senior career in the history of the sport.
But speaking on his own podcast with former team-mate Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo set his sights firmly on the next major milestone, while also taking a cheeky swipe at the likes at Pele in the process by stating that all his goals would have been televised, unlike the legends of the past.
He said: "Soon I will [score my] 900th and after that it will be 1,000. If I don't have injuries, that is most important, I want that.
"My challenge is to reach 1,000 goals with one difference – all the goals that I score will have video. So I can prove that."
When asked how much longer he could keep competing for, 39-year-old Ronaldo does not see himself finishing up anytime soon.
He said: "I know I’m still looking good. I feel I can still dribble, shoot, score goals, jumping.
"The day that I feel I cannot produce anything, I pack my bags and I go away, but I feel far from that."
Al Fayha 1-4 Al Nassr: Ronaldo and Talisca star in one-sided away victory
Talica was twice on target and Cristiano Ronaldo managed another goal and assist as Al Nassr swept Al Fayha aside with a 4-1 away victory in the Saudi Pro League.
The Portugal international needed just five minutes to tee up Brazilian team-mate Talisca, who added the second of his account late on in the match at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium.
Ronaldo got on the scoresheet himself in first-half stoppage time, with Marcelo Brozovic also on target before Fashon Sakala's 86th-minute consolation finish on Tuesday.
Victory marks Al Nassr's first win of the new league season after being held to a frustrating 1-1 draw with Al Raed in their opener.
Data Debrief: Al Nassr dominance continues
Al Fayha are now winless in their last 111 Pro League matches against Al Nassr (D3 L8), their longest current winless streak against any opponent.
Luis Castro's side, by contrast, have scored in their last 21 league outings, their longest such run since a streak between December 2019 to October 2020.
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