Thierry Henry

Player Information

Full name: Thierry Daniel Henry
Date of birth: August 17, 1977
Birthplace: Les Ulis, Essonne, France
Nationality: French
2nd nationality: Martiniquais
EU passport: Yes
Height: 188 cms
Weight: 83 kgs

Club: FC Barcelona
Position: Striker [C]
Squad Number: 14
Contract expires: June 2011
Previous clubs: Monaco > Juventus > (€17m) Arsenal > (€23.8m) Barcelona

International debut: October 1997, v South Africa
International Caps: 100
International Goals: 44
World Cups: France 1998 (1st), Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006 (2nd)

Awards

FIFA World Cup (1998)
UEFA European Football Championship (2000)
FIFA Confederations Cup (2003)

French Ligue 1 (1997)
English FA Cup (2002, 2003, 2005)
English FA Premier League (2002, 2004)

French Young Footballer of the Year (1997)
French Footballer of the Year (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
English FA Premier League Top Scorer (2002, 2004, 2005, 2006)
English FA Premier League Footballer of the Year (2003, 2004, 2006)
FIFA Confederations Cup Top Scorer (2003)
FIFA Confederations Cup MVP (2003)

Biography

1977
Born August 17 in Les Ulis, Essonne, Paris.
1990
Joins French first division Monaco as a 13-year-old.
1994
August: Makes French first division debut for Monaco against Nice, Monaco lose 2-0. Monaco coach was Arsene Wenger.
1995
April: Scores first goals in first division, two in 6-0 victory over RC Lens.
1996
May: Voted French Young Player of the Year.
1997
January: Signs first professional contract with Monaco.
May: Monaco win French league championship. Henry scores nine goals in 36 matches.
June: Helps France reach quarter-finals of World Youth championship in Malaysia.
October: Wins first French cap in World Cup warm-up match against South Africa in Lens.
1998
June: Plays in six of seven games in World Cup finals for winners France, staying on the bench for the 3-0 final victory over Brazil but scoring three first round goals -- one against South Africa and two against Saudi Arabia.
1999
January: Joins Juventus on after Italians outbid Arsenal.
April: Scores first goals for Juventus, two in 3-1 defeat of league leaders Lazio.
1999
August: Joins Arsenal for 10.5 million pounds.
September: Fails to score in first eight appearances, eventually getting off the mark in 1-0 win over Southampton.
2000
June: Scores three goals as France win Euro 2000.
2001
May: Ends season with 22 goals.
2002
April 15: Named in the PFA Premiership team of the year.
May: Scores 31 goals for Arsenal as they clinch the Double.
June: Sent off for France against Uruguay in the World Cup finals as his country fail to progress from group stage.
2003
May: With three games remaining, Henry has scored 22 league goals as Arsenal chase second consecutive league title. He has also helped them reach second straight FA Cup final in a row.
June: Voted PFA player of the year and Football Writers' Association player of the year.
December: Runner-up in European Footballer of the Year poll, same position in FIFA world player of the year poll.
2004
May: Top scorer in Premier League with 30 goals as Arsenal win title without losing a match, a feat last achieved 115 years previously. Voted PFA player of the year. Becomes first player since award began more than 50 years ago to be named FWA player of the year in successive seasons.
December: Runner-up in FIFA world player of the year poll.
2005
May: Helps Arsenal win FA Cup although injury keeps him out of final against Manchester United.
October: Becomes top-scorer in Arsenal's history, netting twice in Champions League win over Sparta Prague to take his tally to 186, one more than set by Ian Wright in 1990s
2006
February: Scores 200th goal for Arsenal in win over Birmingham.
April: Voted Footballer of the Year for the third time in four years by the Football Writers' Association, becomes the first player in 59 years of the award to receive the accolade three times.
May: Captains Arsenal in their first Champions League final. Arsenal beaten 2-1 by Barcelona after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann sent off.
May 19: Signed a new four-year contract, pledging his future to the north London club.
July 9: Member of the French squad that lost the FIFA World Cup final against Italy 1-1 (3-5 PSO) in Berlin's Olympiastadion.
September 26: Arsenal defeated Porto 2-0 at home with Henry scoring the first on the 38th minute, it was his 50th goal in European competition.
October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.
October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.
November 6: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.
November 27: Thierry Henry collected 121 points to finish third in the European Footballer of the Year award.
December 15: December 15: Thierry Henry collected 12.1% of the votes to finish third in the World Soccer's Player of the Year award.
2007
March 9: Set to miss the rest of the season because of injuries. Henry, just back from a foot injury, hurt groin and stomach muscles Tuesday when the Gunners were knocked out of the European Champions League by PSV Eindhoven. "Thierry Henry will be out for a minimum of three months," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
June 23: Arsenal announced they have agreed to sell captain Thierry Henry to Barcelona subject for a fee reported to be in the region of €23.8m. Under the tutelage of manager Arsene Wenger, he was transformed from a winger into one of the top strikers in the world and went on to become the English club's record goalscorer with 226 goals in 364 appearances. He helped the Gunners to the Premier League title in 2002 and 2004, victory in the English FA Cup in 2002, 2003 and 2005 and captained the side to the UEFA Champions League final in 2005/06, which they lost 2-1 to Barca in Paris.
July 26: Scored in his first game with Barcelona, a 1-0 exhibition victory at Dundee United.
September 29: Scored his first hat-trick in Spanish football as FC Barcelona won 4-1 at Levante UD.
October 13: Scored a goal in France's 6-0 away victory at Faroe Islands to equal Michel Platini's France record of 41 goals.
October 17: Henry broke Platini's French national team scoring record, getting a pair of goals in a 2-0 victory over Lithuania in a European Championship qualifier. Henry scored in the 79th and 80th minutes to give him 43 goals in 96 games. Platini had 41 goals in 72 games for France from 1976-87.
2008
April 29: Member of the FC Barcelona team that lost the UEFA Champions League semifinal against Manchester United, 1-2 aggregate score.
June 3: Became the sixth France player (Thuram, Desailly, Zidane, Vieira and Deschamps) to win 100 caps after being named in the starting lineup of the friendly 1-0 defeat of Colombia in Paris.
December 6: Scored a hat-trick as FC Barcelona's 4-0 win at home to Valencia CF.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

At the FIFA World Cup France 1998™, Aime Jacquet’s squad included several attackers who, although highly talented, lacked experience at international level. At that time, the reputations of both David Trezeguet and Thierry Henry were confined to French borders.
Today, Henry is not only regarded as one of the finest strikers on the planet, but has also become a genuine phenomenon in his seven seasons in the English Premiership with Arsenal. As clubs all over Europe can testify, his deadly finishing is matched only by his elegant style.

Made club captain last summer after the departure of fellow Frenchman Patrick Vieira, ‘Titi’ has enjoyed yet another sensational season, even smashing the London club’s all-time scoring record held previously by Ian Wright (185 goals).

The boy from the Parisian suburb of Les Ulis first made a name for himself at Monaco where, under the watchful eye of his guru Arsene Wenger, he developed an array of skills that would propel him to the summit of his sport. Picked initially by Jacquet to play a bit-part role at France 98, Henry ended the tournament as his side’s top scorer with three goals to his name.

In 1999, he escaped from an inauspicious spell at Juventus, to whom he was sold by Monaco, by moving to Highbury, a switch that saw his career take on a whole new dimension. There, his old mentor Wenger converted him from a left winger into an out-and-out centre-forward. Revelling in his new role, Henry proceeded to play a key part in France’s UEFA Euro 2000 coronation by chipping in with three goals. The football world was witnessing the birth of a legend.

Finding form
The following season, Henry really hit top gear, finishing top scorer in a team that also included the Dutch maestro Dennis Bergkamp. But for the team as a whole, the campaign was marked by the dual disappointment of a cup final loss to Liverpool and elimination in the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League by Valencia.

One year later, the English Premiership’s top scorer arrived in Asia for the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2002. But after being knocked out in the group stage without scoring a single goal, France suddenly found that the dark days were upon them.

When they were also defeated in the quarter-final of Euro 2004 by future champions Greece, les Bleus were forced to acknowledge that an era had ended. Drafted in to oversee the reconstruction, Raymond Domenech was hit by a wave of temporary retirements that deprived him of the likes of Lilian Thuram, Claude Makelele and Zinedine Zidane. But the coach responded by appointing Henry as one of his generals, a move he would not regret. When France’s place in Germany came under threat during their FIFA World Cup preliminary campaign, Henry responded with a stunning strike against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin that got his country back on track for qualification (1-0).

Stung by les Bleus’ ignominious FIFA World Cup exit four years ago, Henry is more motivated than ever by the idea of silencing the sceptics who claim he is less effective at international level as he is for his club. Defenders of the world, watch out: Henry is likely to be at his devastating best in Germany this summer.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

Thierry Henry has been a goalscorer par excellence ever since Arsenal FC paid Juventus FC €17m for his services in the summer of 1999. Since being converted from a wide player into a central striker he has matured into one of the game's most-feared hitmen.

National team
Scored the only goal of the 1996 UEFA European Under-18 Championship final against Spain and two years later, aged 20, he finished as his country's leading scorer as they won the FIFA World Cup on home soil. Further success followed at UEFA EURO 2000™, where he was again his country's top scorer with three strikes, before France, and Henry, who was sent off against Uruguay, came crashing down to earth at the 2002 World Cup. Scored six goals in seven UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifiers and then found the net twice in the win against Switzerland that took France to the quarter-finals, though his form in the early 2006 World Cup qualifiers was as frustrating as France's.

Club
A fleet-footed natural athlete, Henry first made his mark with AS Monaco FC, for whom he made his debut in 1995, helping them to the French title in 1996/97 and a UEFA Champions League semi-final in 1998.

1999: He joined Juventus in January for a significant fee but failed to settle and seven months later replaced Nicolas Anelka at Arsenal, where he assumed the centre-forward's role that transformed his career.

2001: A hugely successful season for Henry as he won the Premiership Golden Boot and Arsenal competed the English domestic double. He was then voted into the uefa.com users' Team of the Year for 2002, and ended the next campaign with an FA Cup winner's medal and both English Footballer of the Year awards. He retained the latter prize the next season and won the ESM Golden Shoe with 30 Premiership golas in inspiring Arsenal to the league title and an unbeaten campaign.

2004/05: Arsenal may have relinquished the Premiership title and again fallen short in the Champions League, but Henry's form barely dipped as he ensured a share of the ESM Golden Shoe with 25 goals and won another FA Cup.

Did you know?
Henry's uncle was French 400 metres hurdles champion.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

UEFA EURO 2004™ player's profile

Thierry Henry is a goalscorer par excellence who has not looked back since Arsenal FC paid Juventus FC €17m for his services in the summer of 1999. The extra responsibility which came with being converted from a wide player into a central striker has seen him mature into one of the game's most-feared hitmen.

National team
Scored the only goal of the 1996 UEFA European Under-18 Championship final against Spain and two years later, aged 20, he finished as his country's leading scorer as they won the FIFA World Cup on home soil. Further success followed at UEFA EURO 2000™, where he was again his country's top scorer with three strikes, before France, and Henry, who was sent off against Uruguay, came crashing down to earth at the 2002 World Cup.

UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying
Scored six goals in seven qualifiers to finish as his country's joint-leading marksman along with David Trezeguet and Sylvain Wiltord. Henry struck four times in the two games against Malta and also registered in home victories against Cyprus and Israel.

Club
A fleet-footed natural athlete, Henry first made his mark with AS Monaco FC, for whom he made his debut in 1995, helping them to win the French title in 1996/97 and reach a UEFA Champions League semi-final in 1998.

1999: He joined Juventus in January for a significant fee but failed to settle and seven months later was heading for Highbury to replace Nicolas Anelka.

2001: The season preceding Korea/Japan was hugely successul for Henry as he won the Premiership Golden Boot as the Londoners wrested the title from Manchester United FC and defeated Chelsea FC in the FA Cup final. His performances were enough to see him voted into the uefa.com users' Team of the year for 2002. Scored a majestic UEFA Champions League at AS Roma the following term, ending it with 24 league goals, an FA Cup winner's medal and both English Footballer of the Year awards.

2003/04: English Footballer of the Year again and winner of the ESM Golden Shoe, Henry's electric performances inspired Arsenal to the league title and an unbeaten campaign. He scored 30 league goals and five more in the Champions League.

Did you know?
Henry's uncle was French 400 metres hurdles champion.

©uefa.com 1998-2004. All rights reserved.

Daniel Alves

Player Information

Full name: Daniel Alves Da Silva
Date of birth: May 06, 1983
Birthplace: Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
2nd nationality: Spanish
EU passport: Yes
Height: 173 cms
Weight: 68 kgs

Club: FC Barcelona
Position: Defender [R]
Squad Number: 20
Contract expires: June 2012
Previous clubs: Bahia > (€1m) Sevilla > (€29m) FC Barcelona

International debut: October 2006, v Ecuador
International Caps: 1
International Goals: 0
World Cups: none

Awards

FIFA U-20 World Cup (2003)
Copa America (2007)

UEFA Cup (2006, 2007)
UEFA Super Cup (2006)

Spanish Copa del Rey (2007)
Spanish Super Cup (2007)

UEFA Cup Most Valuable Player (2006)

Biography

1983
Born May 6 in Juazeiro, Bahia, Brazil.
2006
May: Helps Sevilla to win their first European Trophy against Middlesbrough FC at the PSV Stadion in the UEFA Cup final.
August 25: Member of the Sevilla team that stunned Barcelona with a 3-0 victory after a superb performance to win the European Super Cup in Monaco. Daniel Alves was named Super Cup Man of the Match and Most Valuable Player of the 2005-06 UEFA Cup.
September 21: Daniel Alves received his first Brazil call up for next month's friendly internationals against Al-Kuwait and Ecuador.
2007
May 16: Won the UEFA Cup with Sevilla FC on penalties 3-1 over Espanyol following a 2-2 draw at the Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland. The victory made Sevilla the second club to win consecutive UEFA Cup titles after Real Madrid took the 1985 and 1986 championships.
June 23: Member of the Sevilla lineup that defeated Getafe 1-0 to win its 4th Copa del Rey title at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain.
July 15: Member of the Brazil squad that stunned bitter rivals and overwhelming favourites Argentina 3-0 to win their eighth Copa America title.
August 14: Spanish media reported that Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon met representatives from Sevilla in Madrid and that the two clubs had agreed a basic fee of €32 million plus an extra 4 million euros depending on results for Dani Alves.
August 16: Sevilla rejected Chelsea's bid for Daniel Alves. "Sevilla would like to make clear... that they have rejected Chelsea's offer because it is a very long way from the value put on the player by the club," Sevilla said in a statement on their Web site. It is believed that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich put the brakes on the deal because he baulked at paying such a large fee for the defender and that he had reduced the offer to 25 million euros.
August 31: Member of the Sevilla FC squad that lost the UEFA Super Cup against AC Milan 3-1 in Monaco on a night which served as a fitting tribute to the memory of Antonio Puerta.
2008
May 19: Daniel Alves said he wanted to leave Sevilla as soon as possible. "I really want to leave now and I hope that everything will be finalised as soon as possible."

Samuel Eto'o

Player Information

Full name: Samuel Eto'o Fils
Date of birth: March 10, 1981
Birthplace: Nikon, Cameroon
Nationality: Cameroonian
2nd nationality: Spanish
EU passport: Yes
Height: 179 cms
Weight: 75 kgs

Club: FC Barcelona
Position: Forward [C]
Squad Number: 9
Contract expires: June 2010
Previous clubs: UCB Douala > Real Madrid > Leganes (loan) > Espanyol (loan) > (part-owned by Real Madrid) Mallorca > (€24m) Barcelona

International debut: March 1997, v Costa Rica
International Caps: 60
International Goals: 24
World Cups: France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002

Awards

African Cup of Nations (2000, 2002)
Olympic Games (2000)

Intercontinental Cup (1998)
UEFA Champions League (2006)

Spanish Copa del Rey (2003)
Spanish La Liga (2005, 2006)
Spanish Super Cup (2005, 2006)

African Young Footballer of the Year (2001)
African Footballer of the Year (2003, 2004, 2005)
African Cup of Nations Top Scorer (2006, 2008)
Spanish La Liga Top Scorer (2006)

Biography

1981
Born March 10 in Nikon, Cameroon.
1997
March; Wins first cap for Cameroon, the day before his 16th birthday, in a friendly in Costa Rica.
July: Moves from the Kadji academy to Real Madrid after impressing on a tour of Spain and is loaned to second division Leganes to gain experience.
1998
June: Included in the squad for the 1998 World Cup finals in France, where he plays as a substitute in the match against Italy in Montpellier as the youngest player in the tournament.
August: Rejoins the Real Madrid squad for the 1998/99 season but plays just one league match before a brief loan spell at Espanyol.
1999
Plays in three games in Real Madrid's victorious Champions League campaign.
2000
Jan-Feb: Scores his first international goal as Cameroon go on to win the African Nations Cup in Nigeria.
August: Loaned out to Real Mallorca, who later make the move permanent but Madrid retain an option on him.
September: Plays key role in Cameroon under-23 side's Olympic gold medal victory in Sydney with a penalty shootout triumph over Spain.
2002
Jan-Feb: Helps retain African Nations Cup in Mali as Cameroon beat Senegal on penalties after 0-0 draw in the final.
June: Plays in the World Cup finals in Japan where Cameroon fail to get past the first round.
2003
June: Scores two goals as Mallorca win Spain's King's Cup final 3-0 against Recreativo Huelva and also plays in the Confederations Cup final defeat by France in Paris.
2004
Jan-Feb: Plays in his third successive African Nations Cup tournament but Cameroon lose in the quarter-finals to Nigeria.
April: Named 2003 African Footballer of the Year.
May: Ends the season with 17 league goals, including two in Mallorca's 3-2 win over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
August: Joins Barcelona from Mallorca on a four-year deal for a fee of 24 million euros, half of which went to Real Madrid.
November: Scores opener in Barcelona's 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the league.
2005
February: Named African Footballer of the Year for the second season in succession.
May: Wins title with Barcelona, the Catalan club's first trophy in six years. Top scorer in the Primera Liga with 24 goals.
June: Signs deal extension until 2010 with Barcelona.
October: Misses out on World Cup after Cameroon draw 1-1 with Egypt in their final qualifier when Pierre Wome misses an injury-time penalty. Eto'o said he did not take the penalty because Wome asked to.
November: Short listed for FIFA's World Player of the Year award together with club colleague Ronaldinho and Chelsea's Frank Lampard.
December: Third in Fifa's World Player of the Year award.
2006
February: Named as the African Player of the Year for a third year in succession, collecting the 2005 award after narrowly edging Chelsea FC's Didier Drogba into second by 108 votes to 106.
May: Helps FC Barcelona to win double of Spanish Liga Primera and UEFA Champions League. Ends La Liga as Pichichi (Top Scorer) with 26 goals.
August 20: Helped FC Barcelona to won their first trophy of the new season as they defeated Espanyol 3-0 in the second leg of the Super Cup in Camp Nou.
August 24: Etoo was recognized as the UEFA Club Forward of the Year.
September 27: Samuel Etoo could be out for up to three months after being stretchered off in Barcelona's UEFA Champions League 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen.
September 28: Barcelona will be without Samuel Eto'o for five months after the striker underwent surgery on the ruptured external meniscus on his right knee. "The operation was to repair the meniscus of the knee, not take it out, which lengthens the recovery to eight weeks," said club doctor Ramon Cugat.
October 12: Included among the 30 nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.
October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.
November 6: Samuel Eto'o was handed the FIFPro Merit Award for his work with football in Africa and efforts to drive racism out of the game.
December 15: Samuel Eto'o collected 12.6% of the votes to finish second in the World Soccer's Player of the Year award.
2007
February 13: Lashed out at coach Frank Rijkaard for saying he did not want to play for the club and team-mate Ronaldinho for saying he should be more of a team player. His comments come after Rijkaard accused him of not wanting to take to the pitch as a replacement during Barcelona's 2-0 win over Racing Santander on Sunday. "To go into the press room and say that I didn't want to play is dishonest," Etoo said.
February 14: Samuel Etoo and Ronaldinho made a public display of reconciliation by embracing as Barcelona tried to heal the rifts caused by the Cameroon striker's recent outburst.
February 25: Marked his return to the Barcelona starting lineup with a coolly-taken goal as the Spanish champions rediscovered their form to crush Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at the Nou Camp.
March 1: Voted second in the 2006 African Footballer of the Year award.
August 29: Samuel Etoo will be out of action for at least two months after suffering a partial tear of a tendon in his right thigh. He suffered the injury just two minutes after coming on as a substitute in the 5-0 victory over Italian champion Inter Milan in the Gamper Trophy at the Nou Camp.
October 18: Granted Spanish citizenship.
2008
January 26: Equalled the African Cup of Nations all-time scoring record in Cameroon's 5-1 win against Zambia. Eto'o scored his 14th goal in five tournaments from the penalty spot to make it 4-0 and equal the 38-year-old record held by Laurent Pokou of the Ivory Coast.
January 30: Scored twice in Cameroon's 3-0 win against Sudan to surpass Ivorian international Laurent Pokou's 1970 record of 14 finals goals making him the top scorer in African Cup of Nations history.
February 10: Though Eto'o could not lead the Indomitable Lions to victory in the African Cup of Nations final against Egypt, he became the competition top goalscorer (5 goals) in Ghana.
April 29: Member of the FC Barcelona team that lost the UEFA Champions League semifinal against Manchester United, 1-2 aggregate score.
November 8: Scored four goals to lead FC Barcelona's trounce of Valladolid 6-0.

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

Fast, strong and direct, Samuel Eto'o's commitment and desire, allied to his precocious ability, make him a formidable striking talent.

Born on 10 March 1981, Eto'o was signed by Real Madrid CF at the age of 16. He spent 1997/98 on loan at second divison CD Leganés before returning to Madrid, although he was soon off to RCD Mallorca with the capital club retaining half his ownership. Eto'o then established himself as one of the most dangerous strikers, scoring twice as the islanders beat RC Recreativo de Huelva 3-0 in the 2003 Spanish Cup final. His 17 league goals the next season took his total at Son Moix to 54, earning a €24m move to FC Barcelona in summer 2004.

Eto'o enjoyed an outstanding first season at Camp Nou, scoring the header against Levante UD that handed Barça the league title on 14 May, and a contract extension until June 2010. If anything, his second campaign was even more glorious as the Cameroonian striker - who appeared at the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup finals and won the CAF African Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002 and Olympic gold in 2000 - struck 26 league goals to help Barça to another title. He added six more in the UEFA Champions League including a hat-trick against Panathinaikos FC and, most crucially, the equaliser in the 2-1 final victory against Arsenal FC.

Did you know?
At the age of 17 years and three months, Eto'o became the youngest player to appear in a World Cup finals in France '98.

©uefa.com 1998-2006. All rights reserved.

Xavi Hernandez

Player Information

Full name: Xavier Hernández Creus
Date of birth: January 25, 1980
Birthplace: Terrassa, Spain
Nationality: Spanish
EU passport: Yes
Height: 175 cms
Weight: 68 kgs

Club: FC Barcelona
Position: Defensive Midfielder [C]
Squad Number: 6
Contract expires: June 2010
Previous clubs: (youth) Barcelona

International debut: November 2000, v Netherlands
International Caps: 63
International Goals: 5
World Cups: Korea/Japan 2002, Germany 2006

Awards

FIFA U-20 World Cup (1999)
UEFA European Football Championship (2008)

UEFA Champions League (2006)

Spanish La Liga (1999, 2005, 2006)
Spanish Super Cup (2005, 2006)

UEFA European Football Championship Player of the Tournament (2008)

Biography

1980
Born January 25 in Terrassa, Spain.
1997
September: Member of the Spanish team that reached the FIFA U-17 World Championship semifinals in Egypt.
1999
April: Member of the Spanish team that won the FIFA World Youth Championship in Nigeria.
2000
September: Member of the Spanish team that won the Silver Medal at the Sydney Olympic Games.
2005
December: Tears ligaments in his right knee during training. Xavi got hurt in a clash with Brazilian midfielder Edmilson.
2006
March: Resumes training almost 4 months after injury.
April: Returns to action after suffering a serious knee injury when he came on as a second-half substitute during Barcelona 1-0 Primera Liga win at home to Cadiz.
May: Helps FC Barcelona to win its second straight Spanish league title and 18th overall.
June 14: In a game in which a number of Spanish players stood out, Xavi was named Budweiser Man of the Match for being the primary creative figure in Spain's 4-0 victory over Ukraine.
August 20: Helped FC Barcelona to won their first trophy of the new season as they defeated Espanyol 3-0 in the second leg of the Super Cup in Camp Nou.
December 17: Played in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2006 as Barcelona is defeated by Brazil's Internacional with a late-goal in Yokohama.
2008
April 29: Member of the FC Barcelona team that lost the UEFA Champions League semifinal against Manchester United, 1-2 aggregate score.
June 29: Won the UEFA Euro 2008 with Spain after defeating Germany 1-0 in the final. Xavi displayed all of his classy playmaking skills and ran the show in the middle.
June 30: Named the Castrol Player of the Tournament for UEFA EURO 2008 after his stirring displays helped his country to the title. His ability to dictate the pace of the game from midfield brought him to the attention of the UEFA Technical Team who decide upon the Castrol Player of the Tournament, taking into account votes from the public.
October 27: Included in the FIFPro World XI Team of the Year.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Xavi Hernandez is a product of the FC Barcelona youth system, moulded in the image of his boyhood hero, Josep Guardiola, his predecessor in the Barcelona engine room. Xavi joined the club at the age of 11, making swift and impressive progress through their junior teams.
In the summer of 1998, the Spanish Supercup was the setting for Xavi’s first appearance in the senior side, marking his debut with a goal on an unforgettable day for the young star. The following season, Xavi was called into service following an injury to team captain Guardiola and he never looked back.

As the years have gone by, Xavi’s importance to the Barcelona cause has continued to grow, having remained an automatic choice in the side despite a host of coaching changes at the Camp Nou. His outstanding performances at the heart of the Azulgrana midfield saw him make his debut for the senior national team in 2000, although the gifted young Spaniard had already amassed a wealth of international experience. Xavi was a member of the golden generation that triumphed at the FIFA World Youth Championship Nigeria 1999, and a year later helped his side to a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Prodigious talent
Xavi is a magnificent reader of the game and an excellent ball-winner. Besides which, the visionary playmaker is a creative genius and is outstanding going forward, being able to dictate the pace of the game almost at will. Xavi has an uncanny knack for picking the right moment to pierce the opposition defence with a perfectly-weighted through ball.

Hard work and skill earned him a place in the Spanish squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™, although he played just 124 minutes in the Far East. Having featured in almost every qualifying game in the lead-up to UEFA Euro 2004, then coach Inaki Saez decided against using him at the tournament on Portuguese soil. Despite these disappointments, Xavi has become a key figure for Spain since the appointment of veteran coach Luis Aragones. The stocky midfielder broke his national team scoring duck in a friendly against China, and is becoming a more familiar face at set-pieces thanks to his formidable long-range shooting ability.

Unfortunately for the Barcelona star, a serious knee injury had seen his involvement at Germany 2006 cast into doubt. Nevertheless, his determination and hard-work in recovery have kept his FIFA World Cup dream alive, with the Spanish fans desperate to see him back in action and pulling the strings in midfield.

© 2001-2006 FIFA, All Rights Reserved

UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

An FC Barcelona stalwart, Xavi Hernández filled the midfield anchorman role left by Josep Guardiola at his club and proves an integral squad member for Spain.

National team
Having played under Iñaki Sáez in the side that won the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, Xavi's senior Spain debut came in November 2000 against the Netherlands, and he later won his way into the 2002 FIFA World Cup squad. He played three times in Korea/Japan, but did not make it off the bench at UEFA EURO 2004™. However, he won a regular starting place in 2006 World Cup qualifying, and scored his first goal for Spain in a 3-0 friendly win against China.

Club
A product of the Barcelona academy, Xavi's debut in the first team was in the 1998 Spanish Super Cup against RCD Mallorca. Barcelona went on to win the league that season, with Xavi making 17 appearances and scoring a vital goal against Real Valladolid. He was soon a regular, and in 2001/02 played 14 times in their run to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. One of the great moments of his career came in April 2004 as he scored the late winner that secured Barcelona's first victory at Real Madrid CF since November 1997, the Catalan side later claiming second place behind Valencia CF.

2004/05: Once again Xavi was the catalyst in many of the team's domestic and European wins. He missed just two league matches on the way to the title and scored three goals including a stunning, swerving volley to hand Barça victory against Albacete Balompié on 11 December. He was rewarded at the end of the season with a three-year contract extension until June 2010.

Did you know?
Xavi has turned down a number of big-money offers in order to stay with his beloved Barça.

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Lionel Messi

Player Information

Full name: Lionel Andrés Messi
Date of birth: June 24, 1987
Birthplace: Rosario, Santa Fé, Argentina
Nationality: Argentinian
2nd nationality: Spanish
EU passport: Yes
Height: 169 cms
Weight: 67 kgs

Club: FC Barcelona
Position: Forward [C]
Squad Number: 10
Contract expires: June 2014
Previous clubs: none

International debut: August 2005, v Hungary
International Caps: 18
International Goals: 10
World Cups: Germany 2006

Awards

FIFA U-20 World Cup (2005)
Olympic Games (2008)

UEFA Champions League (2006)

Spanish La Liga (2005, 2006)
Spanish Super Cup (2005, 2006)

FIFA U-20 World Cup Top Scorer (2005)
FIFA U-20 World Cup Best Player (2005)

Argentinian Footballer of the Year (2005)
FIFPro Young Footballer of the Year (2006)
World Soccer Young Player of the Year (2006, 2007)
U-21 European Footballer of the Year (2007)

Biography

1987
Born June 24 in Rosario, Santa Fe
2000
His father finds a job in Barcelona and Messi wins a place in the club's junior divisions, his height at this time is 140 cms.
2003
November: Makes his first team debut for Barcelona in a friendly match against Porto.
2004
October: Makes his professional debut for Barcelona at the age of 17 in a 1-0 win over arch-rivals Espanyol.
2005
May: Scores his first goal in La Liga (v. Albacete), becomes the youngest goal scorer in Barcelona's history (17y, 10m, 7d)
June: Helps the Argentinean team to win the U-20 FIFA World Cup, Messi named competition's Best Player and Top Scorer.
August: Comes on as a substitute to make his first appearance for Argentina's senior team, shown the red card after 2 minutes.
September: Granted EU Passport by the Spanish Government.
2006
May: Helps FC Barcelona to win its second straight Spanish league title and 18th overall.
July: Short-listed for the best young player at the 2006 FIFA World Cup award.
August 20: Helped FC Barcelona to won their first trophy of the new season as they defeated Espanyol 3-0 in the second leg of the Super Cup in Camp Nou.
October 17: Included among the 50 nominees for the European Footballer of the Year Award.
November 6: Lio Messi wins the FIFPro Young Player of the Year award.
November 12: Lionel Messi will be out of action for three months after injuring his left foot in a league game against Zaragoza.
2007
March 10: Scored a last-gasp equaliser to complete a spectacular hat-trick and earn 10-man Barcelona a thrilling 3-3 home draw with arch-rivals Real Madrid. "Scoring all our goals, it was a special game for him. He's a magnificent talent. His goals saved us," acknowledged Frank Rijkaard.
April 18: Scored two goals, including a spectacular solo effort, to help FC Barcelona beat Getafe 5-2 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. Messi's first goal in the 29th minute was reminiscent of Diego Maradona's against England in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinals. He beat four opponents in a run from his own half before rounding Getafe goalkeeper Luis Garcia and scoring from a narrow angle.
July 15: Member of the Argentinian squad that lost the Copa America final against arch rivals Brazil 0-3 at the Jose Encarnacion Pachencho Romero Stadium in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Messi was also included in the "Dream Team" of the competition.
October 5: Included in the FIFPro Team of the Year.
December 2: Claimed 255 points to finish third after Kaka (444) and Cristiano Ronaldo (277) in the European Footballer of the Year Award.
December 13: Voted second after Kaka in the World Soccer Player of the Year award. He also won the young player of the year award for the second successive year.
2008
April 29: Member of the FC Barcelona team that lost the UEFA Champions League semifinal against Manchester United, 1-2 aggregate score.
August 24: Member of the Argentinian team that won the Gold Medal at the Beijing Olympic Games.
October 27: Included in the FIFPro World XI Team of the Year.
December 2: Claimed 281 points to finish second after Cristiano Ronaldo (446) in the European Footballer of the Year Award.

FIFA World Cup™ Germany 2006 player's profile

Lionel Messi became the toast of Argentina when, just days after his 18th birthday, he inspired his country's U-20 side to a fifth world title with a series of masterful displays at the FIFA World Youth Championship Netherlands 2005.
Such was the impression made by the prodigious midfielder that in addition to taking home a gold medal he also picked up the adidas Golden Shoe award as top scorer, and the adidas Golden Ball as best player. At the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, the 18-year-old will be hoping to pick up an even more prestigious accolade – the Gillette Best Young Player Award.

"Although he's already a great player, Lionel needs to take things slowly. What he did in this tournament was fantastic, but in order to keep developing his game and improving, he needs to continue along the same lines," said his Argentina U-20 coach Francisco Ferraro. 'Messimania' has also broken out back in Argentina with many supporters and analysts already comparing him to the young Diego Maradona.

With his extraordinary vision, darting runs and impeccable technical skills, Messi strides about midfield like it is his natural habitat, engineering openings where none appear to exist. Endowed with an explosive turn of pace and the ability to majestically dribble his way through the sturdiest of rearguards, he is a constant threat to opposing defences, who seem incapable of containing him.

But the left-footed Messi is a lot more than just an orchestrator of play and a neat passer; he has also got a keen eye for goal. His six-goal tally in the Netherlands, in particular the exquisite strike that opened the scoring in the semi-final against Brazil, have marked him out as a formidable marksman in his own right.

Messi was only 13 when his family moved from Argentina to Spain to escape the economic crisis then ravaging the South American country. After settling in Barcelona, the talented youngster was invited to trials at the Camp Nou, where the youth coach Carles Rexach immediately spotted a star in the making. "I snapped him up there and then. In fact, as a symbolic gesture, I got him to sign for FC Barcelona on the back of a serviette," Rexach later recalled.

However, at only 1.40m, the diminutive Messi was extremely small and slight for his age, and so the club also undertook to take care of the medical treatment needed to stimulate the player's dormant growth hormones.

Three years on, the Argentine made his debut in the Spanish top flight at the age of 16, and then on 1 May 2005 he became the youngest league scorer in Barcelona's history when, at just 17 years, ten months and seven days, he audaciously chipped the Catalans' winner against Albacete. Today, the player they call El Pulga (The Flea) is a key member of a star-studded Barcelona side that finished the 2005-06 season as Spanish league champions and winners of the UEFA Champions League.

Officials at the Spanish Football Federation were not slow either when it came to recognising Messi's huge potential, offering him the chance to represent his adopted country at youth level. However, the player's Argentine roots ran deep and he politely declined in the hope that one day he would get his chance with the Albiceleste.

In the end coach Jose Pekerman decided to call the prodigious teenager up the senior squad, not because of public pressure, but simply in recognition of the maturity and quality of his game. However, his full debut with the senior team, against Hungary in August 2005, was far from ideal, with Messi being shown a straight red card for raising an arm in a tackle less than a minute after coming off the bench.

Two weeks later he would play the final ten minutes of his country’s qualifying defeat by Paraguay in Asuncion, and then start his first game for the Albiceleste in another Germany 2006 qualifier against Peru on 9 September at the Monumental. He was hailed as his team’s best player by the local media after his side’s 2-0 win, but would have to wait until 1 March this year for his first senior international goal, in Argentina’s 3-2 friendly loss to Croatia.

Of course, his new status as one of the finest young player of his generation brings with it ever more media attention – something the player has yet to fully come to terms with. Asked recently how he was handling being constantly in the spotlight, Messi answered: "I'm trying to deal with it as calmly as I can, although all I really want to do is to get out on the pitch and play football."

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UEFA Champions League 2005-06 player's profile

A favourite of Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi proved when inspiring Argentina to glory at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cupp that he possesses many of the attributes which made his countryman one of the greatest footballers of all time.

Messi finished that tournament in the Netherlands as its six-goal leading scorer of which two, both penalties, came in the 2-1 final win against Nigeria. In August 2005 he was sent off 90 seconds into his senior debut against Hungary – a rare folly for a player who enhanced his reputation at the FIFA World Cup before being overlooked for the quarter-final defeat by Germany. He was at CA Newell's Old Boys as a child, but Messi moved to FC Barcelona aged 13 as his parents needed to pay for treatment he needed for a hormone deficiency. When he made his first-team debut on 16 October 2004 at RCD Espanyol, he became the third youngest player to represent the club, aged 17 years, three months and 23 days. Picked up a second successive title medal in 2006 but was on the sidelines as Barça defeated Arsenal FC in the UEFA Champions League final.

Did you know?
In June 2005 he agreed a five-year contract with a €150m buy-out clause.

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