Lars Lagerback names Victor Anichebe and John Utaka in Nigeria squad

New Nigeria coach Lars Lagerback named Everton striker Victor Anichebe and Portsmouth forward John Utaka in his provisional 30-man World Cup squad on Monday.

Lagerback recalled the England-based pair in his first squad since taking over from the sacked Amodu Shaibu earlier this year.

Anichebe returned to action with Everton in the Premier League at the beginning of May, while Utaka was recalled by Lagerback after missing out on selection for the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

The Swedish coach also picked Anichebe's Everton teammates Joseph Yobo, who has recently recovered from injury, and striker Yakubu Ayegbeni.

Veteran Nwankwo Kanu, who made his international debut in 1994 and captained Nigeria to gold at the 1996 Olympics, has been included in the provisional squad, which will be trimmed down to 23 players for the World cup.

Lagerback said Monday he was not under any pressure from the Nigerian Football Federation to choose particular players.

"Individual skills and fitness levels were considered when picking the players," Lagerback said, "so it does not matter if a player is 20 or 35 years old."

Promising midfielder Lukman Haruna of French club Monaco was also selected. Haruna, who turned 20 last month, led Nigeria's under-17 team to World Cup victory in 2007. He made Nigeria's initial African Cup squad in January but was dropped from the final roster for the tournament.

Utaka's younger brother Peter, who plays in Denmark for Odense, was also part of the squad alongside Wolfsburg striker Obafemi Martins and Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel.

Mikel missed the last part of the Premier League season with a knee problem but is expected to return to full fitness at the end of May, in time for Nigeria's pre-World Cup training camp in England. Nigeria has planned friendly matches against Saudi Arabia in Austria on May 25 and Colombia in London on May 30.

The team then completes its preparations against North Korea in South Africa on June 4. Lagerback has also given chances to two local players in his 30-man group. Goalkeeper Akpan Bassey and defender Peter Suswan are the only two members of the squad who play their club football in Nigeria.

Nigeria will play Argentina, South Korea and Greece in Group B. Lagerback resigned as Sweden coach after failing to qualify for South Africa and took charge of the Super Eagles in February after they finished third at the African Cup, which led to the departure of Shaibu.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Dele Ayenugba (Beni Yehuda FC), Bassey Akpan (Bayelsa United), Austine Ejide (Hapoel Petah Tikva)

Defenders: Taye Taiwo (Marseille), Elderson Echiejile (Rennes), Chidi Odiah (CSKA Moscow) Onyekachi Apam (Nice), Joseph Yobo (Everton), Daniel Shittu (Bolton), Ayodele Adeleye (Sparta Rotterdam), Rabiu Afolabi (Salzburg), Peter Suswan (Lobi Stars)

Midfielders: Kalu Uche (Almeria), Dickson Etuhu (Fulham), John Obi Mikel (Chelsea), Sani Kaita (Alaniya), Lukman Haruna (Monaco), Ayila Yussuf (Dynamo Kyiv), Peter Osaze (Lokomotiv Moscow)

Forwards: Yakubu Ayegbeni (Everton), Victor Anichebe (Everton), Chinedu Obasi (Hoffenheim), Nwankwo Kanu (Portsmouth), Obafemi Martins (Wolfsburg), Ideye Brown (Sochaux), Ikechukwu Uche (Zaragoza), John Utaka (Portsmouth), Peter Utaka (Odense), Victor Obinna (Malaga).

Source: AP

Diego Forlán in; Cristian “Cebolla” Rodriguez left out of World Cup squad

The absence of Porto forward Cristian Rodríguez was the only surprise in Uruguay's 26-man preliminary World Cup squad announced Monday.

Among the players called up by coach Oscar Washington Tabarez were strikers Diego Forlan of Atletico Madrid, Luis Suarez of Ajax and Botafogo's Sebastian Abreu, along with defender and captain Diego Lugano of Turkish club Fenerbahce.

The list, which will be reduced to 23 men by June 1, included only four Uruguay-based players. Rodríguez was suspended for four games after receiving a red card in the last match of the South American qualifying campaign and missed the two-legged playoff that secured Uruguay's qualification. The ban meant he would have missed the first two games in South Africa.

Suárez, top scorer with Dutch club Ajax this season, said Monday playing in a World Cup was "the maximum".

Uruguay squad:

Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera (Lazio), Juan Castillo (Deportivo Cali), Martín Silva (Defensor Sporting).

Defenders: Diego Lugano (Fenerbahce), Diego Godin (Villarreal), Andrés Scotti (Colo Colo), Jorge Fucile (Porto), Martin Caceres (Juventus), Mauricio Victorino (Universidad de Chile), Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica).

Midfielders: Walter Gargano (Napoli), Egidio Arevalo Rios (Peñarol), Sebastian Eguren (AIK Stockholm), Diego Pérez (Monaco), Alvaro Pereira (Porto), Alvaro Fernández (Universidad de Chile), Jorge Rodríguez (River Plate), Álvaro González (Nacional), Ignacio González (Valencia), Nicolás Lodeiro (Ajax).

Forwards: Luis Suárez (Ajax), Diego Forlán (Atlético Madrid), Sebastián Abreu (Botafogo), Edinson Cavani (Palermo), Jorge Martínez (Catania) Sebastián Fernández (Banfield).

Fernando Torres, Cesc Fabregas, Víctor Valdes named in Spain's squad

Barcelona's uncapped keeper Víctor Valdes and winger Pedro Rodriguez were in a list of 30 players announced on Monday from whom coach Vicente del Bosque will select the 23 for June's World Cup in South Africa.

Del Bosque said the line-up was made "with my heart and with my head." Besides Valdes and Rodriguez, three others are on track for their first caps: Atletico Madrid keeper David De Gea, Osasuna defender Cesar Azpilicueta and Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martínez.

Injured players Andres Iniesta of Barcelona, Cesc Fabregas of Arsenal and Liverpool's Fernando Torres are also included on the list.

Del Bosque plans to announce the final squad for the World Cup, which runs from June 11-July 11, on May 20.

The coach had hinted recently that he would call up Valdes, after the 28-year-old's strong form for the European and Spanish champions over the past two seasons.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Jose Manuel Reina (Liverpool/ENG), Diego López (Villarreal), David De Gea (Atletico Madrid), Victor Valdes (Barcelona).

Defenders: Raul Albiol, Sergio Ramos, Alvaro Arbeloa (all Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol (both Barcelona), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Cesar Azpilicueta (Osasuna).

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal/ENG), Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta (all Barcelona), Marcos Senna (Villarreal), Javier Martínez (Athletic Bilbao), David Silva (Valencia).

Forwards: Daniel Guiza (Fenerbahce/TUR), Juan Manuel Mata, David Silva, David Villa (all Valencia), Alvaro Negredo, Jesus Navas (both Sevilla), Fernando Torres (Liverpool/ENG), Santiago Cazorla (Villarreal), Pedro Rodríguez (Barcelona), Fernando Llorente (Athletic de Bilbao).

Jeremy Christie on New Zealand World Cup roster

Jeremy Christie, a midfielder on the minor league Tampa Bay team in the U.S. Soccer Federation division two league, was among 23 players picked for New Zealand's World Cup roster.

Christie joined FC Tampa Bay this season from Waitakere United in New Zealand. FC Tampa Bay plays at Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees' spring training facility, and is coached by Paul Dalglish, son of former Liverpool star and manager Kenny Dalglish.

"Jeremy has always been on the radar and I have kept in close contact with his coach at Tampa Bay," New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert said Monday. "He has gone offshore to challenge himself and that has been good for him. ... We believe he will offer a great deal to the squad."

Andrew Boyens, a defender on Major League Soccer's New York Red Bulls, also was selected along with Simon Elliott, a midfielder who was with San Jose last season. Boyens has appeared in just one Red Bulls match this season, in the U.S. Open Cup against Philadelphia on April 27.

New Zealand's roster includes 12 overseas-based players, including Blackburn defender Ryan Nelsen. Two of the players have never appeared for the national team: Denmark-based defender Winston Reid and New Zealand-based midfielder Aaron Clapham.

Preliminary 30-man rosters are due Tuesday, and the 23-man rosters must be submitted to FIFA by June 1. The 32-year-old Nelsen is among five England-based players, joined by Ipswich defender Tommy Smith and forwards Chris Killen of Middlesbrough, and Chris Wood and Rory Fallon of West Bromwich Albion.

Clapham has won his first international callup after being selected New Zealand's domestic player of the year. "Aaron has come into this group and looked very comfortable," Herbert said. "He is the type of player that should be around the international scene for many years, and he has a big future in the professional game."

The 22-year-old Reid plays for Denmark's Midtjylland but has switched allegiance to New Zealand after representing Denmark at under-19, under-20 and under-21 level.

Only one player was omitted from the 18-man group that clinched a World Cup berth by beating Bahrain in a playoff last November: New Zealand-based Aaron Scott.

David Mulligan was picked despite not playing for a club this season after his released by the Wellington Phoenix. "David has been a victim of circumstances at the Phoenix where other players have come in and played well, keeping him out of the team," Herbert said. "He has never stopped working hard, however, and his attitude has been first-class."

New Zealand's players will assemble in Auckland on May 19 and play an exhibition against Australia at Melbourne five days later. The team travels to Austria for training and matches against Serbia and Slovenia, before arriving in South Africa on June 6.

At its first World Cup appearance since 1982, New Zealand will play defending champion Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia in Group F.

The squad:

Goalkeepers: James Bannatyne (Team Wellington), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory), Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix)

Defenders: Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls, United States), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers, England), Winston Reid (Midtjylland, Denmark), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Tommy Smith (Ipswich, England), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City)

Midfielders: Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Christie (Tampa Bay, United States), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), Simon Elliott (no club), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell, Scotland), David Mulligan (no club)

Forwards: Rory Fallon (Plymouth, England). Chris Killen (Middlesbrough, England), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion, England)

Shunsuke Nakamura earns place in Japan roster: coach Okada names 4 Europe-based players

Japan coach Takeshi Okada announced a 23-member World Cup squad on Monday, naming four Europe-based players he hopes will give his team some extra attacking strength.

Keisuke Honda of CSKA Moscow, Makoto Hasebe of Germany's VfL Wolfsburg, Daisuke Matsui of French side Grenoble and Takayuki Morimoto of Italian club Catania were called up along with former Glasgow Celtic and Espanyol midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura, who now plays for the J-League's Yokohama F Marinos.

Japan, which reached the second round when it co-hosted the 2002 edition with South Korea but has never won a World Cup match on foreign soil, will be making its fourth straight appearance in soccer's quadrennial showpiece.

"This is a team that will never give up, is very fast and will be at a high level of fitness," Okada told a news conference.

Japan, drawn with the Netherlands, Denmark and Cameroon in Group E, has had trouble scoring goals in recent matches but Okada is hoping the presence of players such as Honda and Morimoto will solve that problem in South Africa.

"Honda has changed his style since going to Moscow. He has become more confident around the net and we have high expectations for him to score goals," Okada said.

Morimoto will come into Okada's calculations as a potential gamebreaker for Japan. "He is a very physical player," Okada said. "I'm not sure if he will start games but he can come on at any time in a game and create some chances."

The addition of 34-year-old goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, a veteran of three World Cups, was seen as a surprise but Seigo Narazaki is expected to start most games.

Veteran Shinji Ono did not make the squad that contains a strong selection of midfielders including Nakamura, Honda, Hasebe and Junichi Inamoto.

Along with Morimoto, Okada will call on forwards Keiji Tamada, who scored against Brazil at the 2006 World Cup, Yoshito Okubo, Kishi Yano and Shinji Okazaki, who scored 15 international goals in 2009.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata), Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus), Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale).

Defenders: Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Nagoya Grampus), Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Daiki Iwamasa (Kashima Antlers), Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers).

Midfielders: Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama F Marinos), Junichi Inamoto (Kawasaki Frontale), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale), Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble), Yuki Abe (Urawa Reds) Makoto Hasebe (VfL Wolfsburg), Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow).

Forwards: Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus), Yoshito Okubo (Vissel Kobe), Kishi Yano (Albirex Niigata), Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse), Takayuki Morimoto (Catania).

Ghana team includes Boateng, Essien and Muntari on World Cup roster

Injured Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has been included on Ghana's preliminary 30-man World Cup roster along with Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari and Portsmouth midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has never played for the Black Stars.

Essien injured a hamstring playing for Chelsea on Dec. 8, returned to appear for Ghana in the African Cup of Nations, then hurt his right knee in training with the Black Stars on Jan. 17. He has not played since.

Sunderland defender John Mensah, sidelined for much of the season by a calf injury, also was picked by Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac.

Boateng will have to be given international clearance because he has played for Germany's under-21 team.

Muntari was recalled after being overlooked for this year's African Cup of Nations.

Regular captain Stephen Appiah also was picked and two years of knee injuries that caused him to him miss out on the Cup of Nations.Ghana-based goalkeepers Stephen Aholu and Stephen Adams were handed their first call-ups to the national team.

The team will gather in France for a training camp that starts May 24. Ghana has friendlies against the Netherlands on June 1 and Latvia at Milton Keynes, England, on June 5 before heading to South Africa.

The Black Stars were the only African team to reach the second round of the 2006 World Cup, where they beat the Czech Republic and the United States in the first round before getting knocked out by Brazil. They are grouped this time with Germany, Rajevac's native Serbia and Australia.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Stephen Adams (Aduana Stars), Daniel Agyei (Liberty Professionals), Stephen Aholu (Heart of Lions), Richard Kingston (Wigan, England)

Defenders: Eric Addo (Roda, Netherlands), Lee Addy (Bechem Chelsea), Rahim Ayew (Zamalek, Egypt), Samuel Inkoom (Basel, Switzerland), Jonathan Mensah (Granada, Spain), John Mensah (Sunderland, England), John Paintsil (Fulham, England), Hans Adu Sarpei (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany), Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim, Germany)

Midfielders: Quincy Owusu Abeyie (Al Sadd, Qatar), Anthony Annan (Rosenborg, Norway), Stephen Appiah (Bologna, Italy), Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese, Italy), Dede Ayew (Arles-Avignon, France), Agyemang Badu (Udinese, Italy), Derek Boateng (Getafe, Spain), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Portsmouth, England), Haminu Draman (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia), Michael Essien (Chelsea, England), Bernard Kumordzie (Panionios, Greece), Laryea Kingston (Heart of Midlothian, Scotland), Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan, Italy)

Forwards: Dominic Adiyiah (AC Milan, Italy), Matthew Amoah (NAC Breda, Netherlands) Asamoah Gyan (Rennes, France), Prince Tagoe (Hoffenheim, Germany)

The Canadian Press // AFP

Neymar goals and skills videos: will be part of South Africa 2010?

Doubts? You must watch him...

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior

Birth: 05/02/1992, Mogi das Cruzes (SP)
Titles: Torneio de Rosana 2004 (Mirim Santos FC), 3ª Copa Saudades de Futebol 2007 (Infantil Santos FC) e Torneio Mediterrâneo 2008 (Brazilian National Team Sub-16); Campeonato Paulista 2010 (Santos FC)

Germany announces squad

Germany, one of Ghana’s Black Stars opponents at the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup have announced their provisional 27-man squad for the tournament.

Head Coach Joachim Loew named his squad on Thursday in Frankfurt with Hamburg defender Dennis Aogo and Bayern Munich youngster Holger Badstuber as the surprise names in the team whilst striker Kevin Kuranyi was left out.

The two uncapped players were included in the provisional squad after impressing with their respective clubs this season.

Information gathered by GNA Sports indicates that 19-year old midfielder Toni Kroos, the Golden Ball winner at the FIFA U-17 Championship held in Korea in 2007 has also been included in the squad.

Only eight members of the provisional team were part of the squad that played at the 2006 World Cup on home soil.

The invited players include Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Lukas Podolski (Cologne), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg) and Michael Ballack, (Chelsea) the only foreign based player.

Die Mannschaft as the Germans are nicknamed will play warm-up games against Malta in Aachen on 13 May, Hungary in Budapest on 29 May and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Frankfurt on 3 June.

Loew will name is his final 23-man squad on June 1.

The Germans will open their campaign against Australia on June 13 in Durban, play Serbia six days later in Port Elizabeth before wrapping up the Group stage against Ghana’s Black Stars on June 23 in Johannesburg.

Germany are three times winners of the Mundial in 1954, 1974 and 1990.

The Squad:

Goalkeepers: Hans-Jorg Butt (Bayern Munich), Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen)

Defenders: Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Heiko Westermann (Schalke 04), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Jerome Boateng (Hamburg), Andreas Beck (Hoffenheim), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Serdar Tasci (Stuttgart), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg), Holger Badstuber (Bayern Munich), Dennis Aogo (Hamburg).

Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Chelsea/ENG), Sami Khedira (Stuggart), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg), Marko Marin (Werder Bremen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Christian Trasch (Stuttgart), Mesut Ozil (Werder Bremen), Toni Kroos (Bayer Leverkusen).

Forwards: Lukas Podolski (Cologne), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Stefan Kiessling (Bayer Leverkusen), Cacau (Stuttgart), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich).

Source: GNA

South Korea selects 30-man preliminary squad

Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung and Monaco forward Park Chu-young have been included in South Korea's preliminary 30-player World Cup squad.

South Korea coach Huh Jung-moon says he will trim the squad to 23 after the team faces Ecuador in Seoul on May 16.

The star of the 2002 team, Ahn Jung-hwan, was also chosen Monday and will be vying for a third World Cup appearance. Goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae could make his fourth appearance, but former Fulham and Reading midfielder Seol Ki-hyeon was left off because he is still recovering from a knee operation.

Huh says his "team is as strong as any other team" at the World Cup "because each player has confidence and a fighting spirit."

South Korea 30-man preliminary World Cup squad:

Kim Young-Kwang (Ulsan), Lee Woon-Jae (Suwon), Jung Sung-Ryong (Seongnam); Kang Min-Soo (Suwon), Kwak Tae-Hwi (Kyoto), Kim Dong-Jin (Ulsan), Kim Hyung-Il (Pohang), Oh Beom-Seok (Ulsan), Lee Young-Pyo (Al Hilal), Lee Jung-Soo (Kashima Antlers), Hwang Jae-Won (Pohang), Cho Won-Hee (Wigan), Cha Du-Ri (SC Freiburg), Cho Yong-Hyung (Jeju); Koo Ja-Cheol (Jeju), Ki Sung-Yong (Celtic), Kim Bo-Kyung (Oita), Kim Nam-Il (Tom Tomsk), Shin Hung-Min (Pohang), Kim Jae-Sung (Pohang), Kim Jung-Woo (Gwangju), Lee Chung-Yong (Bolton) Kim Chi-Woo (Seoul), Park Ji-Sung (Manchester United); Park Ju-Young (AS Monaco), Ahn Jung-Hwan (Dalian Shide), Lee Seung-Ryul (Seoul), Yeom Ki-Hun (Suwon), Lee Keun-Ho (Jubilo Iwata), Lee Dong-Guk (Jeonbuk).

Lucas Barrios included in Paraguay 30-man squad

Borussia Dortmund's prolific Argentine-born goalscorer Lucas Barrios, who obtained Paraguayan nationality last month, was included on Tuesday in Paraguay's 30-man provisional World Cup squad.

Barrios, born in Buenos Aires to a Paraguayan mother, was picked to reinforce a forward section deprived of key striker Salvador Cabanas, recovering from being shot in the head in a Mexico City bar argument in January.

The 25-year-old Barrios, with 18 goals in the Bundesliga this season, is not the only Argentine-born player on the list named by coach Gerardo Martino, also an Argentine.

Midfielders Jonathan Santana of VfL Wolfsburg and Néstor Ortigoza, who plays for Argentinos Juniors in the country of his birth, are also naturalised Paraguayans.

"It's clear there's no discussion about his (Barrios's) footballing qualities. The days we're going to spend together will be good for him to get to know the rest of the lads and get into the group," Martino said.

"On the basis of what we see we'll take a final decision," he told a news conference regarding Barrios's chances of making it into Paraguay's definitive squad of 23 at the end of May.

Paraguay will prepare for the South Africa finals at a training camp in Evian les Bains in France and play several warm-up games in Europe from the second half of May to early June.

They meet holders Italy, Slovakia and New Zealand in group F at the finals starting on June 11.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Justo Villar (Real Valladolid), Aldo Bobadilla (Independiente Medellin), Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteño)

Defenders: Denis Caniza (Leon), Paulo Da Silva (Sunderland), Claudio Morel (Boca Juniors), Julio Cesar Caceres (Atletico Mineiro), Carlos Bonet (Olimpia), Julio Manzur (Olimpia), Dario Veron (Pumas UNAM), Aureliano Torres (San Lorenzo), Antolin Alcaraz (Club Bruges), Marcos Caceres (Racing Club)

Midfielders: Edgar Barreto (Atalanta), Cristian Riveros (Cruz Azul), Osvaldo Martinez (Monterrey), Jonathan Santana (VfL Wolfsburg), Victor Caceres (Libertad), Enrique Vera (LDU Quito), Sergio Aquino (Libertad), Eduardo Ledesma (Lanus), Nestor Ortigoza (Argentinos Juniors)

Forwards: Marcelo Estigarribia (Newell's Old Boys), Jorge Achucarro (Newell's Old Boys), Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City), Nelson Haedo Valdez, Lucas Barrios (both Borussia Dortmund), Oscar Cardozo (Benfica), Edgar Benitez (Pachuca), Rodolfo Gamarra (Libertad)

Source: Reuters

Messi: "Fabregas will return to Barca"

Argentine striker Lionel Messi has paid rich tributes to Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas and said he hopes that the Spanish striker and he will be reunited at Nou Camp "at some point".

"Cesc has a place for Arsenal in his heart but he has Barcelona in his blood...There are only a few players in the world who can improve this squad we have but Cesc is one of them," Messi was quoted as saying by the Daily Express.

Despite the fact that Fabregas is under contract to Arsenal until 2014 and has pledged his future to the club on a number of occasions, he has been consistently linked with a return to Barcelona, the club he joined as a 10-year-old in 1997.

Messi said that he understood that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Fabregas shared a father-son relationship, but Barcelona was like family. "Barcelona is his city and it is the club of him and his family."

Asked if he would play for an English club, 22-year-old Messi said, "I will be here for as long as they want me. I owe Barcelona more than for for giving me a chance - I owe them for changing my life."

Lionel Messi joins an elite list

Lionel Messi became only the sixth player in history to have bagged four goals in a UEFA Champions League match.

The Argentine's four-goal haul against Arsenal on Tuesday night took his team into the semi-finals and also won him another new record to go along with it.

Only five other players have managed the same feat namely, Marco Van Basten, Dado Prso, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Andrei Shevchenko and Simone Inzaghi.

Van Basten's goals came against IFK Gothenburg back in 1992 while playing for AC Milan.

It took another eight years before Lazio's Simone Inzaghi stunned Marseille with four of his own in a 5-1 win over the French giants.

Croatian hitman Prso netted four times in Monaco's 8-3 trouncing of Deportivo La Coruna in November 2003 while Van Nistelrooy achieved the same feat for Manchester United in 2004 against Sparta Prague at Old Trafford.

The last player to have achieved that feat was Shevchenko who bundled four goals past Fenerbahce for AC Milan in the 2005 edition of the UEFA Champions League.

2010 - Lionel Messi Barcelona 4-1 Arsenal

2005 - Andrei Shevchenko Fenerbahce 0-4 AC Milan

2004 - Ruud van Nistelrooy Manchester United 4-1 Sparta Prague

2003 - Dado Prso Monaco 8-3 Deportivo La Coruna

2000 - Simone Inzaghi Lazio 5-1 Marseille

1992 - Marco Van Basten AC Milan 4-0 IFK Gothenburg