FCBARCELONA.CAT

05.10.2009 11:42

International call-up for Barça 13

Roger Bogunyà

Thirteen Barça players are taking a break from club commitments to join up with their national sides.

Keita, Touré Puyol, Piqué, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Abidal, Henry, Ibrahimovic, Márquez, Messi and Alves. Keita and Touré have just the one match coming up – Mali v Sudan, and Ivory Coast v Malawi - while the rest of their team-mates have two.

Pressure off Spain 5

Barça’s five Spanish internationals are involved in World Cup qualifiers against Armenia and Bosnia but with Spain already through to the finals in South Africa, the pressure is off.

A short trip for Henry and Abidal

However, that’s not the case for Henry and Abidal and their French team, who face must-win home games against Faeroe Isles and Austria. Ibrahimovic and Sweden also have everything at stake against Denmark (away) and Albania (home).

Brazil and Argentina

As for the Latin American contingent, Alves has already booked his place in South Africa with Brazil and so has nothing to lose in the matches against Bolivia and Venezuela.

However, it’s a very different story for Leo Messi and Argentina, who can still qualify, directly or via the playoffs, but who face the real prospect of failing to make the finals. They have two games at home against Peru and Uruguay to put their campaign back on course. Finally, Márquez can clinch his place in South Africa in Mexico’s matches against El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago.