Quiz: soccer quiz

Lionel Messi started playing football at a very early age in his hometown`s Newell`s Old Boys. From the age of 11, he suffered from a hormone deficiency and as Lionel`s parents were unable to pay for the treatment in Argentina, they decided to move to Barcelona, Spain.

In the 2003-2004 season, when he was still only 16, Messi made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked the opening of the new Dragao stadium. The following championship-winning season, Messi made his first appearance in an official match on October 16, 2004, in Barcelona`s derby win against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium (0-1).

With several first team players seriously injured, the services of several reserve team players were called upon, and Messi became a regular feature of Barça squads. On May 1, 2005, he became the youngest player ever to score a league goal for FC Barcelona - against Albacete when Messi was only 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old.

He was offered the chance to play for the Spain national football team, but declined, prefering to wait for the opportunity to play for the country of his birth. In June 2004 he got his chance, playing in a U-20 friendly match against Paraguay.
Lionel Messi wearing FC Barcelona`s colorsIn June 2005 he starred for the Argentina U-20 team that won the Football World Youth Championship played in The Netherlands. Messi picked up the Golden Boot as top scorer with 6 goals, and the Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament. Despite his youth, Lionel has already drawn comparisons with Diego Maradona, arguably the best football player of all time.

On September 25, 2005 Messi obtained a Spanish citizenship and was finally able to make his debut in this season`s Spanish First Division. He had previously been unable to play because FC Barcelona had filled up all of their quota of non-EU players.

Messi`s first outing in the UEFA Champions League at the Nou Camp was on Sept 28 against Italian club Udinese. He impressed with some great passing and a seemingly telepathic relationship with Ronaldinho that earned him a standing ovation from the 70,000-odd Nou Camp faithful. On December of that year, the Italian newspaper Tuttosport awarded him the Golden Boy 2005 title for the best under-21 player in Europe, over Wayne Rooney and Lukas Podolski

In September 2005, Messi was given an improved and extended contract until 2014.

Messi built on his international reputation in the 2005/2006 season for Barcelona and earned himself rave reviews, most notably from Argentine superstar Diego Maradona who said that Messi was "Maradona's successor". Lofty praise indeed for a player barely 18 years of age.

A thigh injury late in the 2005/2006 season almost ruined Messi's chances of representing Argentina at the 2006 World Cup in Germany but coach Jose Pekerman took a chance on him and he made several substitute appearances culminating in becoming the youngest player ever to represent Argentina at a World Cup and even bagging a goal in the 6-0 victory over Serbia and Montenegro.YOU

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (born in Funchal, Portugal, 5 February 1985; age 24 years) is a soccer player origin Portugal.

He was known as the winger from Manchester United from 2003-2009 before moving to Real Madrid on 1 July 2009 with a record-breaking transfer of 80 million Pounds Sterling improves as these players in the history of football.

He usually plays as a left wing or right and center. He began to be called the national soccer team of Portugal since 2003.

Christiano Ronaldo was born in Madeira, Portugal, son of Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Dinis Aveiro. He has a brother man named Hugo, and two women, sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia. Liliana Working as a singer with the stage name "Ronalda" in Portugal. The name given to the second Cristiano ( "Ronaldo") is relatively rare in Portugal.

Wonder boy Wayne Rooney is the name on everybody's lips as Roo-mania sweeps across the country. At the tender age of 16, Rooney announced himself to the Premiership as a top prospect - scoring a seamless goal against Arsenal to earn his first victory for Everton in the last minute of the game.

Wayne Rooney is a born and bred Liverpudlian. The son of a working-class family, he grew up in the suburb of Croxteth. Brought up in a three-bedroom council house with his parents, Jeanette and Wayne, and his younger brothers, Graham and John, young Wayne had not much more than the dreams of every other little boy in his town. His mum Jeanette was a dinner lady at a local school. The family have always been Everton-mad, and Rooney's old bedroom window, which was visible from the street, was filled with Everton pennants.

Rooney was the talk of the town well before his international success. He was only nine when he was spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton playing for boys' club Copplehouse in the local Walton and Kirkdale Junior League. In his last season with them he scored 99 goals before joining the Everton academy. His progress was so swift that he was playing for the Under-19s side when still only 15.

His life now is very different, though his superstardom doesn't look like it's gone to his head, he still looks like the boy next door, and if you passed him on the street you wouldn't look twice, he certainly doesn't carry the glamour of Beckham, but who cares? As long as he keeps scoring the goals, he's a national hero.

Wayne Rooney is the top goal scorer in Euro 2004, and has been describes by England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson as the greatest teenage talent to emerge at a soccer tournament since Pele at the 1958 World Cup. Still at only 18 his career has just started, Liverpool-born Ronney is a boy that everyone wants to be.

Wayne Rooney joined Manchester United on Tuesday, 31 August 2004 despite a last minute holdup caused by his broken foot. Manchester United finalized the deal to acquire the 18-year-old striker from Everton at the transfer deadline date. The six-year deal is worth $48.3 million; with agent fees, the total soars to $54 million. "It was a tough decision to leave Everton, the club I've supported and played for all my life, but I'm excited to be joining a club as big as Manchester United," Rooney said in a statement released by his new team. "I feel this can only improve my career, playing with top players in top competitions like the Champions League and I can't wait to meet up with the team."

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 the Seleção 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 new Seleção 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 £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.