FCBARCELONA.CAT

27.06.2009 10:15

Alves the fourth current Barça finalist

Jesús Carrillo

This Sunday in Johannesburg Dani Alves may play in his first Confederations Cup final. The Brazilian would be the fourth current Barça player to play in the final after Eto'o, Márquez and Henry.

The Brazil team for Sunday’s game is yet to be announced, but Alves could be selected to play in the final of the Confederations Cup in the South African capital. The full-back would be the fourth current Barça player to play in the final of FIFA’s second most important competition after the World Cup.

Rafa Márquez first

The first of Pep Guardiola’s current players to turn out in the final was Mexican Rafa Márquez on 4 August 1999 in the Azteca Stadium in Mexico. His team lifted the trophy after beating Brazil 4-3 with Márquez playing all 90 minutes. He signed for Barça four years later. Oddly enough, Ronaldinho also played in that final, scored a goal and came to Barça at the same time as the ‘Kaiser of Michoacán'.

‘Titi' Henry and Eto'o in same game

The French striker played in the 2003 final at Saint Denis in Paris against Cameroon. France won its second Confederations Cup and Henry played all 120 minutes of the match, scoring the only goal of the game in extra-time. Samuel Eto'o also appeared in the final, coming on as a sub in the second half and racking up 57 minutes in total.