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Date of birth: 24 June 1987
Place of birth: Rosario, Argentina
Height: 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position: Striker / Winger
Club information
Current club: Barcelona
Number: 10
Youth career: 1995–2000 Newell's Old Boys; 2000–2011 Barcelona
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is a football player who currently plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team as a striker or winger. Considered one of the best football players of his generation, Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009, 2010 and 2011. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona, who himself declared Messi as his "successor".
Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by Barcelona. He left Rosario-based Newell's Old Boys's youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004–05 season, he broke his team record for the youngest footballer to score a league goal.
Tactically, Messi plays a free attacking and occasionally a playmaking role, known for his finishing, pace, dribbling, vision and passing ability. He is comfortable attacking on either wing or through the centre of the pitch. He began his career as a left-winger and forward, but was later moved onto the right wing by former manager Frank Rijkaard, who noticed that from this position, Messi could cut through the defence into the middle of the pitch more easily, allowing him to curl shots on goal with his left foot, rather than predominantly crossing balls for team mates.
Messi has won five La Liga titles, three Champions League titles, scoring in two of those finals, against Manchester United in both 2009 and 2011. He was not on the pitch as Barcelona defeated Arsenal in 2006, but received a winners' medal from the tournament. At international level Messi has scored 26 goals in 70 games.
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| FCB Home kit 2012-13 | FCB Away kit 2012/13 |
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Date of birth: 11 May 1984
Place of birth: Fuentealbilla, Spain
Height: 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position: Midfielder / Winger
Club information
Current club: Barcelona
Number: 8
Andrés Iniesta Luján, born 11 May 1984 is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team.
Iniesta came through La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, and impressed from an early age. He made his first-team debut in 2002, aged 18. He began playing regularly during the 2004–05 season, and has remained in the side ever since. He was an integral part of the sextuple-winning Barcelona side in 2009, the only time which a club has achieved six titles in a year.
Iniesta played for Spain at Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 levels, before making his international debut in 2006. He was selected for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, playing one game, as Spain went out in the second round. He helped Spain qualify for Euro 2008, and played an important role in the side as they went on to win the competition, playing every game and being selected in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. Iniesta was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was a key member of the victorious Spanish side; he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands, also being named Man of the Match, and was selected in the tournament's All-Star Team. He was also the Man of the Match for two other World Cup games.
Iniesta is fast, direct and reads the game superbly. He started playing in Barca B in a holding role in midfield but has gradually adopted a more attacking position in his first team appearances. Van Gaal began to use him in the hole behind the striker and Frank Rijkaard has, on occasions, given him a wider role on the right.
This demonstrates what is perhaps Iniesta's greatest strength his versatility and professional attitude towards whatever job the coach hands him. Andres is not a showy player, an attribute that matches his off the field persona, but gives a guarantee of practicality and elegance.
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Date of birth: 25 January 1980
Place of birth: Terrassa, Spain
Height: 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position: Midfielder
Club information
Current club: Barcelona
Number: 6
Xavier Hernández Creus (born 25 January 1980 in Terrassa, Barcelona, Catalonia), commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, where he has spent his entire 14-year career.
He has been capped 103 times for the Spanish national team, with whom he won UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. He was named Player of the Tournament by UEFA at UEFA Euro 2008.
Xavi has spent all his footballing life at the Nou Camp, having joined Barcelona when he was only 11 years old. The progress he made was always very quick and in season 97-98 he moved up from youth team to Barca B. In Barça B, he became the brains of Jordi Gonzalvo's team which won promotion to the second division.
Xavi's dream of making his official debut with the first team squad became true when he played in the Spanish Super Cup against Majorca in the summer of 1998. He was in the starting line up and scored: a better debut he could not have asked for. Xavi also played an important role in the league-winning season of 1998-99 with Van Gaal as manager, most notably with an important goal in the Nuevo Zorrilla, which turned round the team's fortunes.
Season 1999-2000 was a good one for Xavi as due to the injury to Guardiola he was the first choice number 4 for a large part of the season. After the legendry captain left for Italian football he became the playmaker of the team and has continued to demonstrate the full range of his talents in this position.
Xavi is the playmaker of the team in every game and shows no nerves whatsoever as he guides the team with an extraordinarily cool head. Since taking on the mantle of playmaker at Barca he has shown incredible vision on the pitch. He is another example of the good work being carried out in the youth teams of Barcelona, especially in the position referred to as number 4 and as he has matured he has shown an increasing ability to adapt himself to different positions in the midfield when his manager has called on him.
In addition he has shown himself more than able at dead ball situations, where his potent shot has brought a number of important goals. The Barça playmaker was a regular in Luis Aragonés' Spain team during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where the team progressed to the second round before being beaten by France.
