Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club Barcelona and the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the world and rated by many in the sport as the greatest of all time, Messi is the only football player in history to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or five times, four of which he won consecutively, and the first player to win three European Golden Shoes. With Barcelona he has won seven La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles, as well as three Copa del Rey titles. A prolific goalscorer, Messi holds the Guinness World Records titles for most goals scored in La Liga, a La Liga season, a calendar year, a Champions League match (five), and most Champions League seasons (five). Born and raised in central Argentina, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency as a child. At age 13, he relocated to Spain to join Barcelona, who agreed to pay for his medical treatment. After a fast progression through Barcelona's youth academy, Messi made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004. Despite being injury-prone during his early career, he established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years, finishing 2007 as a finalist for both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award, a feat he repeated the following year. His first uninterrupted campaign came in the 2008–09 season, during which he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football. At 22 years old, Messi won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award by record voting margins. Three successful seasons followed, with Messi winning three consecutive FIFA Ballons d'Or, including an unprecedented fourth. His personal best campaign to date was the 2011–12 season, in which he set the La Liga and European records for most goals scored in a single season, while establishing himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer in official competitions in March 2012. He again struggled with injury during the following two seasons, twice finishing second for the Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, his perceived career rival. Messi regained his best form during the 2014–15 campaign, breaking the all-time goalscoring records in both La Liga and the Champions League in November 2014, and led Barcelona to a historic second treble. As an Argentine international, Messi has represented his country in six major tournaments. At youth level, he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, finishing the tournament as its best player and top scorer, and an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. His style of play as a diminutive, left-footed dribbler drew comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona, who declared the teenager his successor. After making his senior debut in August 2005, Messi became the youngest Argentine to play and score in a FIFA World Cup during the 2006 edition, and reached the final of the 2007 Copa América, where he was named young player of the tournament. As the squad's captain since August 2011, he led Argentina to the finals of the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 Copa América, and both times was selected as player of the tournament.
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (born 5 February 1992), commonly known as Neymar or Neymar Jr., is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Brazil national team as a forward or winger, and is also the captain of the national team. At the age of 19, Neymar won the 2011 South American Footballer of the Year award, after coming third in 2010. He followed this up by winning it again in 2012. In 2011 Neymar won the FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year. In 2015 he came third for the FIFA Ballon d'Or behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Neymar is known for his acceleration, dribbling skills, finishing and ability with both feet. His playing style has earned him critical acclaim, with fans, media and former players drawing comparison to former Brazil forward Pelé, who has called Neymar "an excellent player", while Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi have stated "he will be the best in the world". Neymar joined Santos in 2003 and, aged 17, made his debut for the club in 2009 and was voted the Best Young Player of the 2009 Campeonato Paulista. Neymar was named player of the year as Santos won the 2010 Campeonato Paulista, and he was also top scorer in the 2010 Copa do Brasil with 11 goals. He finished the 2010 season with 42 goals in 60 games, as his club achieved the Double. Neymar was again voted the player of the year in 2011 as Santos retained the state title and also won the 2011 Copa Libertadores securing a Continental Double, Santos' first since 1963. Joining Barcelona in June 2013, in his second season at the club in 2014-15, Neymar helped them win the continental treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League. Neymar has represented Brazil at Under-17, Under-20 and senior levels. On 10 August 2010, aged 18, he made his senior debut for Brazil in a friendly match against the United States; he scored in a 2–0 win. Neymar was the leading goal scorer of the 2011 South American Youth Championship with nine goals, including two in the final, in the 6–0 win against Uruguay. He was named in Brazil's squad for the 2013 Confederations Cup, and was assigned the number 10 shirt. On 30 June, Neymar scored Brazil's second goal in the 3–0 final win over Spain. His performances saw him receive the golden ball as player of the tournament. At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Neymar scored four goals before he suffered a fractured vertebra in his spine in the quarter-finals and missed the rest of the tournament. He received the Bronze Boot as the tournament's third top goalscorer, and was named in the World Cup All Star XI. Neymar captained Brazil at the 2015 Copa América, but in the group stage was given a suspension which ruled him out for the rest of the tournament. With 46 goals in 67 matches for Brazil, Neymar is the fifth highest goalscorer for his national team. In 2012 and 2013, SportsPro named him the most marketable athlete in the world. In December 2015 he was ranked by The Guardian as the third best player in the world.
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (American Spanish: ['lwis 'swa?es]; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Barcelona and the Uruguay national team as a striker. In July 2014, he moved from Liverpool to Barcelona for a fee reported by the English press in the region of £75 million (€94 million), while Barcelona claim a fee of £65 million (€81 million), making him the third-most expensive player in football history. The transfer took place after he had won the European Golden Shoe in the previous season with Liverpool. Suárez is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in the world. In October 2015, he scored his 300th senior career goal for club and country. Suárez began his career as a youth player for Nacional in 2003. He signed for Groningen in the Netherlands in 2006 and transferred to Ajax in 2007. In 2010 he helped Ajax win the KNVB Cup while becoming the league's top scorer with 35 goals in 33 games. He was also named Dutch Footballer of the Year, scoring 49 goals in all competitions. In the 2010–11 season, he scored his 100th Ajax goal, joining a group of players which include Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp. In January 2011, Suárez transferred to English Premier League club Liverpool for €26.5 million (£22.8 million). In February 2012, Suárez won the Football League Cup with the club. In April 2014, he was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year. As the Premier League's top scorer with 31 goals he won the Premier League Golden Boot, and shared the European Golden Shoe with Cristiano Ronaldo. In his first season at Barcelona, Suárez starred alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar, an attacking trio dubbed MSN (Messi, Suárez, Neymar), and helped the club win the continental treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League. With 43 goals in 82 games for Uruguay, Suárez is the all-time record goalscorer for his national team. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa he played an important role in Uruguay's fourth-place finish, scoring three goals, and also blocked an extra time goalbound header with his hands during the quarter-final against Ghana. At the 2011 Copa América, Suárez scored four goals for Uruguay as they won a record fifteenth Copa América, and he was named Player of the Tournament. At the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Suárez scored his 40th international goal. Suárez has been the source of much controversy throughout his career. As well as his 2010 World Cup goal-line handball, he has also bitten three opponents, the latest being Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup, has been accused of and admitted to diving, and the English Football Association found him guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra, a decision Suárez disputes.
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