Profile of neymar

Neymar

·                                 Full Name: Neymar da Silva Santos Junior

·                                 Position: Forward

·                                 Age: 19

·                                 Birth Date: Feb 5, 1992

·                                 Birth Place: Mogi das Cruzes, Sao Paulo, Brazil

·                                 Height: 5' 9'' (1.75m)

·                                 Weight: 60 kg

Teams

·                                 Brazil

·                                 Santos FC

·                                 Brazil

·                                 Full Name: Neymar da Silva Santos Junior

·                                 Position: Forward

·                                 Age: 19

·                                 Birth Date: Feb 5, 1992

·                                 Birth Place: Mogi das Cruzes, Sao Paulo, Brazil

·                                 Height: 5' 9'' (1.75m)

·                                 Weight: 60 kg

Teams

·                                 Brazil

·                                 Santos FC

·                                 Brazil

Last Game

Santos FC 0 - 2 Barcelona

FIFA Club World Cup

December 18, 2011

·                               Match Stats

2011 Futebol Brasileiro

GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	SHOTS
21	12	4	67

NEYMAR

·                                 Profile

·                                 Career

·                                 Appearances

Every so often a young Brazilian forward of such dazzling potential emerges that comparisons are immediately made with the greatest of all, Pele. As another graduate of the Santos academy, and a player who has made a stunning impact in his teens, it is inevitable that Neymar has become one of them. However, he says his style is closer to that of Garrincha, and that Romario is his hero in theSeleção shirt. The early indications are that this hugely talented forward might, might, just have the potential to join the ranks of Brazil greats.

Though still in his formative years, Neymar has already been the subject of multi-million pound bids from giant European clubs, dazzled in Brazilian domestic football and at youth level for his country, and now he is beginning to do the same for the senior side. Overlooked for the 2010 World Cup by Dunga, despite pleas from Pele himself, Neymar is at the forefront of the newSeleção under Mano Menezes and, having already scored on his debut against United States in August 2010, caught Europe's attention when scoring twice against Scotland at Emirates Stadium when winning only his third cap in March 2011.

Neymar had already become a player of some repute in his home country though. A Santos player since 2003, he made his debut aged 17 and quickly shot to fame when winning the Campeonato Paulista in 2010 and being named the best player in the competition. Maintaining an impressive strike-rate, he shone alongside his stylistic soul-mate Robinho upon his loan return to the club from Manchester City, and was the subject of a £23 million offer from Chelsea in August 2010, which he rejected to continue his career in Brazil.

Though he also signed a new contract at the time, with his buyout clause set at (€45 million) £37 million, Neymar's continued excellence in the Santos shirt, despite some high-profile disciplinary problems, and his impact with Brazil at junior and senior level have led to persistent suggestions that he will move to one of Europe's biggest clubs.

He signed another new contract at Santos at the end of 2011, keeping him at the club until after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but few people expect him to stay that long.

Strengths: A genius with the ball at his feet, Neymar's pace, dribbling , expert finishing and impeccable technique make him a fearsome opponent. His impressive awareness and match intelligence also mean he can operate wide or through the middle.

Weaknesses: His temperament is open to question following a number of disciplinary problems and he has been accused of being selfish, as well as indulging in some of football's dark arts.

Career high: His two-goal showing against Scotland in March 2011 which took his international tally to three in three games and announced his talent to a wider audience.

Career low: In September 2010, Neymar displayed his petulant side when first sparking a ruckus in a match against Ceara, and then arguing with coach Dorival Junior when overlooked to take a penalty against Guarani. Dorival suspended the player, and was sacked as a result.

Style: Electric, inventive, irrepressible, a dangerous forward.

Quotes: "It is good to be compared with the best player [Pele]. But my dad told me about Garrincha's style as he moved forward, went up, attacked and dribbled. Garrincha's style is more similar to Neymar's." Neymar, January 2011.

Trivia: Over 14,000 Brazil fans signed a petition demanding that Neymar be called up by Dunga for the 2010 World Cup finals.

FIFA Club World Cup
December 18, 2011

·                               Match Stats

2011 Futebol Brasileiro

GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	SHOTS
21	12	4	67

NEYMAR

·                                 Profile

·                                 Career

·                                 Appearances

Every so often a young Brazilian forward of such dazzling potential emerges that comparisons are immediately made with the greatest of all, Pele. As another graduate of the Santos academy, and a player who has made a stunning impact in his teens, it is inevitable that Neymar has become one of them. However, he says his style is closer to that of Garrincha, and that Romario is his hero in theSeleção shirt. The early indications are that this hugely talented forward might, might, just have the potential to join the ranks of Brazil greats.

Though still in his formative years, Neymar has already been the subject of multi-million pound bids from giant European clubs, dazzled in Brazilian domestic football and at youth level for his country, and now he is beginning to do the same for the senior side. Overlooked for the 2010 World Cup by Dunga, despite pleas from Pele himself, Neymar is at the forefront of the newSeleção under Mano Menezes and, having already scored on his debut against United States in August 2010, caught Europe's attention when scoring twice against Scotland at Emirates Stadium when winning only his third cap in March 2011.

Neymar had already become a player of some repute in his home country though. A Santos player since 2003, he made his debut aged 17 and quickly shot to fame when winning the Campeonato Paulista in 2010 and being named the best player in the competition. Maintaining an impressive strike-rate, he shone alongside his stylistic soul-mate Robinho upon his loan return to the club from Manchester City, and was the subject of a £23 million offer from Chelsea in August 2010, which he rejected to continue his career in Brazil.

Though he also signed a new contract at the time, with his buyout clause set at (€45 million) £37 million, Neymar's continued excellence in the Santos shirt, despite some high-profile disciplinary problems, and his impact with Brazil at junior and senior level have led to persistent suggestions that he will move to one of Europe's biggest clubs.

He signed another new contract at Santos at the end of 2011, keeping him at the club until after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but few people expect him to stay that long.

Strengths: A genius with the ball at his feet, Neymar's pace, dribbling , expert finishing and impeccable technique make him a fearsome opponent. His impressive awareness and match intelligence also mean he can operate wide or through the middle.

Weaknesses: His temperament is open to question following a number of disciplinary problems and he has been accused of being selfish, as well as indulging in some of football's dark arts.

Career high: His two-goal showing against Scotland in March 2011 which took his international tally to three in three games and announced his talent to a wider audience.

Career low: In September 2010, Neymar displayed his petulant side when first sparking a ruckus in a match against Ceara, and then arguing with coach Dorival Junior when overlooked to take a penalty against Guarani. Dorival suspended the player, and was sacked as a result.

Style: Electric, inventive, irrepressible, a dangerous forward.

Quotes: "It is good to be compared with the best player [Pele]. But my dad told me about Garrincha's style as he moved forward, went up, attacked and dribbled. Garrincha's style is more similar to Neymar's." Neymar, January 2011.

Trivia: Over 14,000 Brazil fans signed a petition demanding that Neymar be called up by Dunga for the 2010 World Cup finals.

Profile of Lionel Messi

Birthplace: Santa Fe, Argentina
Date of Birth: 24th June 1987

Position: Forward
Height: 169cm
Weight: 67kg

Previous Teams:
Grandoli, Argentina; Newell’s Old Boys, Argentina

National Squad/Number of Appearances: Argentina/12+

Lionel Messi joined Barcelona in 2000 at the age of 13. Initially playing for the Under 14s, Messi moved up the ranks through the club’s Youth, C and B teams before joining the first team squad in record time. At the time of his first team
debut in a friendly match in the 2003-4 season he was just 16 years of age. 

Facts:

• Messi became the youngest player ever to score a league goal for Barça  in 2005 in a match against Albacete – aged just 17 years, 10 months and 7 days.
• At 18 Messi played for Argentina in the Under 20 World Cup and won the title. He was also voted best player of the tournament and was its leading goal scorer.
• Argentinean great Maradona has named Messi as his natural successor.  The Spanish press have nicknamed him ‘Messidona’.
• Messi is a left-footed player comfortable in the middle, on the wings or in a centre forward position.
• As a child Messi suffered from a hormonal problem that was preventing him from growing as normal. Barcelona tempted him to Spain by offering to help with his medical bills.
• Messi’s nickname with the Barcelona fans is Leo.
• He was asked to play his national football for Spain but chose to wait for a call up from Argentina.
• His first senior call up to the Argentinean team ended in disaster - he was sent off after 40 seconds.
• When he came on to the pitch against Serbia and Montenegro in the 2006 World Cup, Messi became the youngest player to play for Argentina in a World Cup tournament. His goal in this match made him the youngest scorer of this World Cup and the sixth youngest scorer in the history of the tournament.
• He has won two Spanish Supercups (2005-6/2006-7), two League Titles (2004-5/2005-6) and the Champions League (2005-6) with Barcelona.
• Messi is contracted to stay with Barcelona until 2014.

Profile of Ronaldo

Ronaldo Ronaldo Luiz Nazário de Lima (b. September 22, 1976), simply known as Ronaldo, is a Brazilian footballer who is widely considered to be one of the best strikers of all time. Ronaldo celebratingIn 1993, aged 16, Ronaldo had already scored 59 goals in 57 matches for Brazil's under 17 squad. By 1994 he had joined the squad of the national team, but didn't get to play a single minute on the pitch of the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA. In 1996–1997, Ronaldo played arguably his best season, scoring numerous spectacular goals for FC Barcelona. One of them, a solo goal against Compostela, is considered one of the most amazing goals in football.

Chosen the World's best player in 1996 and 1997, he had a disappointing performance during the 1998 World Cup, scoring only 4 goals, and losing the final to host team France after suffering a mysterious fit in the night before. The fit's circumstances still remain unclear and a source of speculation. He then moved to a club he considered more promising and more respected: Inter Milan. Fans all over the world jumped the bandwagon and supported the world's most glamorous footballer, receiving praise from the Italians all over. Ronaldo's fame grew as he was contantly in the action for the Italian juggernauts. In April 1999, Ronaldo married Milene Domingues. The marriage lasted 4 years and ended in a divorce. A year later, he severely injured his right knee and was out of the game for several months. During his first comeback in 2000, he managed to play a few minutes during a league game against Lazio before injuring his knee for a second time. After 2 operations and 20 months of rehabilitation, Ronaldo managed a comeback during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He claimed the Golden Boot by scoring 8 goals during the tournament (and tied with Pelé for a Brazilian record 12 total World Cup goals), leading Brazil to win an unprecedented fifth World Championship. In 2002, he was awarded the title of the World's best soccer player for the third time, and transferred from Inter Milan to Real Madrid after frequent disputes with current Inter Milan coach Hector Cuper. On June 2, 2004, Ronaldo scored an unusual hat-trick for Brazil against archrivals Argentina in a CONMEBOL qualifier for the 2006 World Cup. He scored all of Brazil's goals in a 3-1 win via penalty kicks. As of 2004, Ronaldo is still playing football, and is still considered one of the world's best strikers. Teams and clubs Brazil national football team  March 1994 -  Debut against Argentina  Social Ramos Club 1990/91  Sao Cristovao 1991-1993  Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte 1993/94  PSV Eindhoven 1994-1996  FC Barcelona 1996/97  Inter Milan 1997-2002  Real Madrid 2002-  Honors and awards FIFA World Player of the Year: 1996, 1997, 2002  European Footballer of the Year: 1997, 2002  FIFA World Cup  2002 Golden Boot - 8 goals  2002 - Winner  1994 - Winner  UEFA Cup: 1998  Cup Winners' Cup: 1997  Dutch Cup: 1996  La Liga - Primera División champions: 2003

Profile of David Beckham

David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE (born May 2, 1975) is an English footballer born in Leytonstone, London. He is a midfielder for Real Madrid and captain of the English national team. He is noted for the quality of his crossing and ability to hit free-kicks and corners, particularly at long-range free-kicks and also for his marriage to a Spice Girl. He has played most of his career for Manchester United. Although there are arguably many better current players in world football none are as famous. Manchester United 1995-2003 Beckham first signed a YTS (youth training scheme) contract (this is similar to an apprenticeship) with United in 1991, and made his League debut in 1995, aged 19. The next year he helped the side to the Premiership and FA Cup trophies and to their dominance of domestic football. In the 1998-99 season, he was part of the United team that won the "treble" - Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, a feat unprecedented in English football, which earned the club's manager, Alex Ferguson, a knighthood.

In total, Beckham scored 86 goals in 397 games for Man United, a rate of roughly 2 goals every 9 games, highly commendable for a midfielder. Club Career Real Madrid 2003-present On June 17, 2003, Beckham signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid of Spain, potentially worth up to €35 million (£25 million, USD 41 million). Plus 2. Apart from benefiting from his football ability, this transfer gives the Spanish club an opportunity to profit from merchandising, especially in the Far East, where Beckham is enormously popular, and Manchester United have until now had the lion's share of interest. It is probably no coincidence that Beckham was transferred just before Real started a far-eastern tour, but it would be very unfair to say that his marketing potential alone was the only reason for his transfer. At the time of the announcement of his transfer to Real Madrid, Beckham and his wife (Victoria) were on a week-long tour of Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand promoting beauty products, chocolate, motor oil, and mobile phones, which it was reported would earn them more than the entire first year of his Real Madrid contract. (Western journalists are excluded from the Japanese "press conferences" organised by his sponsors because of the embarrassment they would cause him in the West.) He successfully completed the transfer on July 1 and was presented with the squad number of 23 on July 2. He is believed to have chosen the number as a tribute to his idol, Michael Jordan, who made number 23 famous with the Chicago Bulls. Real Madrid shirts bearing his name and number were sold out in Madrid on the day his transfer was completed and Real Madrid were expected to receive €624,000 for the sale of the shirts. His transfer to Real Madrid has proven very fruitful for both Beckham and the club. Beckham scored five times in his first 16 matches (including Real's 600th goal in the European Cup/Champions League, against Olympique Marseille on 26 November 2003), a higher scoring rate than his last year at Manchester United (11 goals in 52 games). He has become a favourite of the notoriously fickle Real Madrid crowd, and established an excellent playing relationship with Ronaldo. During the summer of 2004, Real also signed Englishmen Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate. International Career - England By 1998 he was a regular international, and travelled with the England squad to the FIFA World Cup. In the second round of that competition he received a red-card for retaliation, following a foul challenge by the Argentine Diego Simeone. This act arguably cost England the game (which they lost on penalties) and the chance of advancing in the tournament. On returning home, Beckham became the target of criticism, sometimes justified (the accusation of petulance, for example) but much merely gratuitous. He received a similar vilification following his dismissal for a dangerous challenge in the World Club Championships the next year. Following England's poor performance in the 2000 European Championship (from which Beckham was one of the few players to emerge with credit) and later poor performances, the departure of Kevin Keegan as manager saw Beckham promoted to captain, initially under caretaker manager Peter Taylor and maintained by Sven-Göran Eriksson. His leadership, mainly by example due to his fitness and workrate helped England to qualify for the 2002 World Cup Finals and the 1-5 defeat of Germany in Munich during a qualifier (a pivotal event for English football fans). The final step in Beckham's conversion from villain to hero happened in England's 2-2 draw against Greece. Needing only one point from the match in order to qualify for the World Cup, Beckham dragged an otherwise poor England side to qualification with sheer determination and a perfectly executed, last-minute free kick. Meanwhile, taking the role of captain seems to have helped mature him, in both skill and temperament. Beckham played in all England's matches at Euro 2004, but failed to shine. He had his penalty saved by former Manchester United team-mate Fabien Barthez in his side's 2-1 defeat to France in their opening group game. Then, when England's Quarter-Final against hosts Portugal went to a penalty shootout, he was the first England player to attempt a shot. Beckham fired his shot far over the crossbar and England went on to lose the shoot-out 6-5 after Englishman Darius Vassell also missed. Beckham later blamed the miss on the poor state of the pitch, the British press blamed referee Urs Meier for the loss (he had earlier disallowed a contentious goal by Sol Campbell) even publishing his phone number and postal address. The Spanish spectator who caught Beckham's miss put the ball up for auction on eBay España. eBay soon determined that virtually all of the bids, including one for €10million , were fake. When bidding closed on 22 July, the winning bid of €28,050 was made by the Canadian internet casino GoldenPalace.com, which announced that it plans to exhibit the ball around the world for charitable purposes. Beckham's celebrity lifestyle Beckham's highly publicised marriage to Spice Girl and media celebrity Victoria Adams, otherwise known as Posh Spice, has made them both popular targets for the tabloid press, which has dubbed the couple "Posh and Becks". They have two sons, Brooklyn, born March 4, 1999 and Romeo, born September 1, 2002, with a third child due to be born in March 2005. Beckham is well-known for his frequent hairstyle changes and has changed his hairstyle for many times after being criticised for influencing teenagers' hairstyle. David Beckham is, according to the Google search engine, the most famous sports personality in the world, however the producers of The Simpsons decided that he wasn't famous enough to make a cameo appearance in an episode of the show set in London. He is also the most famous metrosexual. However, he has become more well known in North America since the success of the British film Bend It Like Beckham. It is about a Sikh girl whose ambition is to be a football player because she can play like David Beckham. In 2001, Beckham became the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. In the summer of 2003, Beckham was made an OBE in Queen Elizabeth II's honours list. In May of 2003 Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson ordered David Beckham not to wear his hair band during matches. It has been speculated that he believed it to be too effeminate. In April 2004, the British tabloid News of the World carried claims by his former personal assistant Rebecca Loos that he and Loos had had an extramarital affair. A week later, a second woman, Malaysian-born Australian model Sarah Marbeck, claimed that she had slept with Beckham on two occasions. Beckham has denied both allegations, describing them as "ludicrous". In July of 2004, an intruder was arrested at David Beckham's home for scaling a wall with a can of gasoline. The Sun newspaper reported that the man appeared angry with Beckham and intended to burn down the house. Transfer rumours Near the end of the 2003-04 season, The Daily Telegraph of London reported that Beckham's major sponsors were trying to arrange for him to return to England for the 2004-05 season. Sources within the family told the Telegraph that Beckham would almost certainly be back in London. Real Madrid denied rumours that they were interested in selling Beckham, and banned British reporters from access to the team. Because of the extremely high fee that Real Madrid Football team could command for a Beckham deal, and the fact that the other teams that could afford the fee, had financial constraints (Arsenal, Liverpool) or personality issues (Man U) that would have made a deal unlikely, speculation immediately focused on Chelsea, with its billionaire owner Roman Abramovich. Adding fuel to the rumours, Chelsea's manager at that time, Claudio Ranieri, told an Italian newspaper that the club was pursuing both Beckham and Ronaldo, and The Evening Standard of London reported that Chelsea was prepared to pay £40 million for Beckham. However, on 20 May, Beckham, in a statement issued through his agent, quashed the transfer rumours, stating that he would see out the remaining three years of his contract in Madrid. He added that his wife and sons, who had yet to move to Spain, would join him there. In November 2004 it was reported that Real Madrid intended to offer Beckham a two-year extension to his contract, which would effectively keep him in Madrid for the remainder of his playing career.

Profile of pele

Pele
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, KBE (born October 23, 1940), nicknamed Pelé, a Brazilian, is a former football player and thought by many to be the finest player of all time. Often considered the complete attacking player, he was completely two-footed, a prolific finisher, exceptional at dribbling and passing, and was a remarkably good tackler for a forward. He was also famed for his speed and strength on the ball. Over the course of his career, Pelé scored over a thousand goals and won three World Cups. Since his full retirement in 1977 he has served as an ambassador for the sport.

Biography
Edson was born in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil, the son of Fluminense footballer João Ramos do Nascimento, also known as Dondinho. He was named after American inventor Thomas Edison, and did not receive the nickname "Pelé" until his school days. He originally disliked the nickname, but the more he complained the more he was called by it. Later in life, when reflecting that the world came to know the name, he stated his belief that it was chosen for him by God.

Growing up in poverty on the streets of Bauru, São Paulo, he could not afford a football and usually played with either a sock stuffed with papers or a grapefruit. He was given his first leather ball on his sixth birthday by his father's teammate, Sosa. At the age of eleven, Pelé was scouted by Brazilian legend Waldemar de Brito and was invited to join de Brito's amateur team, Clube Atlético Bauru. In 1956, Pele's mentor took him to the city of São Paulo, to try out for professional club Santos. De Brito told the directors at Santos that the 15-year-old would be "the greatest football player in the world". Pelé was offered professional terms and scored four goals in his first league game. When the new season started, Pelé was given a starting place in the first team and, at the age of just sixteen, became the top scorer in the league. Just ten months after signing professionally, the teenager was called up to the Brazilian national team.

In 1958, Pelé became the youngest ever World Cup winner in Sweden at 17, scoring two goals in the final as Brazil crushed Sweden 5–2 in Stockholm. He played in three more Brazilian World Cup teams in 1962, 1966 and 1970, two of which Brazil won (1962 and 1970). Although his contributions were limited in the 1962 and 1966 campaigns because of injuries inflicted by the dirty play of opposition players, the 1970 tournament in Mexico was to be Pelé's last. The 1970 team, featuring famous players like Rivelino, Jairzinho, and Tostão, is often considered to be the greatest team ever. Brazil defeated Italy 4–1 in the final, with Pelé scoring one and gloriously setting up Carlos Alberto for another in what some still consider to be the finest ever World Cup.

Pelé's technique and deft touch combined with his dribbling skills and scoring ability cannot be overstated. His most spectacular signature move was probably the "bicycle kick". He scored over twelve hundred career goals in all competitions, the biggest haul by far among famous players.

After his retirement from Brazilian football on October 3, 1974, he joined the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. He played his last game as a professional on October 1, 1977 in front of a capacity crowd at Giants Stadium against his old club, Santos; he played the first half with the Cosmos and the second half with Santos. The exhibition game was sold out six weeks beforehand. He also played in a friendly match with the Lebanese club Nejmeh in 1974 (see Football in Lebanon).

In 1995, President Cardoso appointed Pelé to the position of Minister of Sports.

Pelé is a long-standing contributor for children's rights at UNICEF and acts as the figurehead of a charity for erectile dysfunction. Pelé is certainly one of the most famous men in football, with his nickname being recognized even by those unfamiliar with the sport.

In 2005, Pelé drew international media attention due to the imprisonment of Edson Cholbi Nascimento, his son and ex-goalkeeper of Santos FC, who was arrested in an operation to dismantle a drug gang in southeastern Brazil. Nascimento, 35, was arrested along with some 50 other people after an eight-month investigation into a cocaine trafficking operation in the port city of Santos.

Accolades
Pelé is in third place in the list of all-time top goalscorers in World Cup play, with 12 goals, and was part of three World Cup winning teams, although he did not play in the 1962 final through injury and did not recieve a medal. He ended his career with a total of 1281 goals in 1363 matches, becoming the highest goalscorer in professional football ever. In his 92 appearances for the Brazilian team, he scored 77 goals.

He was awarded Brazil's Gold Medal for outstanding services to the sport, before becoming Sports Minister in 1994. In 1997, he was given an honorary British knighthood.

In 1992, Pelé was appointed a United Nations Ambassador for Ecology and the Environment.

In 1995, he was appointed an Ambassador for UNESCO at the Goodwill Games.

He was voted athlete of the century by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1999.

In December 2000, Pelé was named Footballer of the Century by a "Family of Football" committee appointed by FIFA, after a web poll favored Diego Maradona. (For details of the controversial process, see Sports Illustrated Article).

In the same year, Pelé received the Laureus World Sports Awards Lifetime Achievement Award from South African President Nelson Mandela.

Pelé is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.