Global appeal

The UEFA Champions League may be a European tournament. But it attracts stars from across the world

United nations

1

Lionel Messi

ARGENTINA FC BARCELONA

The No10’s journey from his hometown of Rosario to the UEFA Champions League – he debuted in September 2005 – is as fascinating as his precocious talent. The son of factory worker Jorge and mother Celia, Messi began playing for his father’s team Grandoli at five. He joined CA Newell’s Old Boys aged 11, where he was diagnosed with a growth-hormone deficiency and told he would grow no taller than 1.40m. Treatment was prohibitively expensive, but two minutes into a trial with Barcelona, the club offered to pay if the family moved to Catalonia.

2

Radamel Falcão

COLOMBIA FC PORTO

Falcão was raised in the coastal city of Santa Marta (like Carlos Valderrama) and named after Brazil legend Falcão. A clinical forward, the 24-year-old Colombian has football in his DNA. His father, a defender for Club Santa Fe, introduced him to football very early. Bought by Argentina’s CA River Plate after shining for Colombia’s Under-17s, he studied journalism before turning professional in 2005. He joined Porto last summer, scoring in his first start in the UEFA Champions League to help the Portuguese side beat Club Atlético de Madrid 2-0.

3

USA RANGERS FC

Born in 1982, the left-winger hails from Fort Wayne, Indiana, a city famed for its investment in minor league sports. Spotted playing for South Side High School, he won a place at IMG Soccer Academy in Florida. In 1999, he won the Silver Ball as second highest scorer at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Beasley made his name with Chicago Fire SC. In 2004 Guus Hiddink took the young

star to PSV Eindhoven for €1.9million, where he made his UEFA Champions League debut. Now 28, he brings genuine pace and impact to Rangers FC’s attack.

DaMarcus Beasley

2

3

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4

Wayne Rooney

ENGLAND MANCHESTER UNITED FC

The striker announced his arrival on the European stage with a hat-trick on his debut for Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League 2004 against Fenerbahçe SK, whenh he was just 18. Born in Liverpool, Rooney’s other sporting love is boxing and he only set aside his boxing gloves on the orders of his first club Everton FC. One of the game’s finest emerging talents, Rooney first grabbed the headlines for his sensational debut goal against Arsenal FC when he was only 16, making him the youngest Premier League scorer at the time. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16