According to the financial information and media firm Bloomberg, the 40-year-old former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker, Cristiano Ronaldo, now playing his football in Saudi Arabia, has a net worth of $1.4bn. It places the Portugal captain among a rare group of athletes that includes basketball greats Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and LeBron James as well as golfer Tiger Woods and tennis player Roger Federer. But what makes an athlete marketable?

SportsPro produce a list of the top 50 most marketable athletes every year. Their Head of Editorial, Sam Carp, tells Ade Adedoyin and John Bennett how stars such as Simone Biles and Ilona Maher use their platform to speak up on social issues can be attractive to big brands.

Cape Verde have defied the odds to qualify for their first ever Fifa World Cup. The Blue Sharks are the second-smallest nation - after Iceland - to reach a World Cup after they beat Eswatini 3-0 at home in the decisive group game.

We hear from Cape Verde defender, Roberto 'Pico' Lopes. He says it's a dream come true for a nation which is made up of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean with a population of just over half a million people. We also hear from former Cape Verde international, Georges Santos, and journalist, Ali Howorth, who is in the capital Paraia and was in the stadium as they sealed qualification for the World Cup. They tell John Bennett they both shed tears following the nation's qualification and the team could cause more surprises at the tournament in 2026.

Collen Kebinatshipi became the first man from Botswana to win a world title at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, clocking a time of 43.53 in the 400m.

The 21-year-old was also part of the team that beat USA to win the men's 4x400 metres, becoming the first African nation to win the event. This a year after Letsile Tebogo won individual Olympic gold in the 200m at Paris 2024. Kebinatshipi says the southern African country can dominate track sprinting for the next 10 years. Calistus Kolantsho tells Isaac Fanin and fellow Athletics commentator, Ed Harry, athletics is growing all the time among Batswana and the country's success in recent years is built on a strong foundation built at primary school level.

Real Betis defender and former Arsenal player Hector Bellerin says with power comes responsibility after he was named Global Champion at the annual BBC Green Sport Awards. Now in their fourth year, the awards were presented to those who have shown an inspiring commitment to making a difference to sustainability in sport.

We hear from Bellerin as well as Lew Blaustein and Pragnya Mohan. Blaustein is the founder of Eco-Athletes while Mohan is India's top ranked triathlete and helped set up the not-for-profit "Ek Beti, Ek Cycle" (one daughter, one bicycle). They tell John Bennett that athletes are the most influential people in the world but often feel uncomfortable at the thought of talking publicly on environmental issues due to a fear of being branded a hypocrite.

LeBron James will play in a record breaking 23rd NBA season, while Mohamed Salah has just helped Egypt qualify for another Fifa World Cup.

Ezra Frech tells Lee James why he's calling on the International Paralympic Committee and World Para Athletics not to scrap the T63 long jump - one of his best events - from the LA2028 program.

He’s already a double Paralympic champion and his hopes of completing a “triple crown” at his hometown games in Los Angeles are under threat due to the IPC’s plans to remove one of his events.

Head of WPA, Paul Fitzgerald, says dropping the event is not a decision they've taken lightly while double Paralympic gold medallist, Richard Whitehead, and BBC Sport's athletics commentator, Ed Harry, discuss how athletes will be affected by the news.

Zinedine Zidane won the World Cup and the Euros with France but his son, Luca, has chosen not to follow in his footsteps and instead represent Algeria – the birthplace of his grandparents.

The 27-year-old goalkeeper – who came through Real Madrid’s academy - has been named in Algeria’s latest squad for their forthcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

John Bennett, Algerian football journalist Maher Mezahi and former DR Congo captain Gabriel Zakuani - who has helped persuade a number of high profile players switch allegiance to DR Congo – discuss the challenges of changing from representing one nation to another.

Former England captain Lewis Moody has revealed he has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Moody was part of the side that won the 2003 World Cup. The 47 year old is the latest former sportsman to announce he has the incurable condition.

We hear from Moody and his wife, Annie, on how difficult it was to break the news to their two teenage sons while BBC rugby union reporter Sara Orchard tells Ade Adedoyin about how the world of rugby has reacted.

We also hear from Nigel Leigh - Professor of Neurology at Brighton and Sussex Medical school - on what is being done to combat MND.

Didier Drogba says his time winning major trophies with Chelsea and Ivory Coast can help grow the sport of all-electric powerboat racing in Africa. The E1 Series is being held on the continent for the first time with the two-time African Footballer of the Year one of its investors. Drogba, and his partner and co-owner Gabrielle Lemaire, discuss hosting the event in Nigeria and why it’s important for promoting equality in sport and sustainability issues. Drogba also jokes about ‘trash talking’ fellow investors Tom Brady, Rafa Nadal, LeBron James and Virat Kohli in the sport’s WhatsApp group.

BBC Sport Africa’s Isaiah Akinremi tells Lee James what to expect from the event while John Bennett explains why Drogba is so respected around the world.

Tennis legend Boris Becker says he regrets winning Wimbledon at the age of 17 because of the pressure it placed on him during and after his playing career.

In 1985 the German beat Kevin Curren to become the youngest ever Wimbledon men's singles champion. He won five more Grand Slam titles, including another two at Wimbledon, and became one of the greatest players of his generation.

But his success was often overshadowed by a turbulent private life and repeated financial difficulties which resulted in a spell in prison. In 2023 he was sentenced to two-and-a-half-year for hiding over £2.5m worth of assets and loans to avoid paying debts. He served eight months of his sentence.

Ahead of the release of his autobiography, he spoke to BBC Sport's Sports News Correspondent, Andy Swiss, about his time behind bars and why he feels winning the biggest prize in tennis had such a negative effect on his life.