Robert Lewandowski(oblation)

Robert Lewandowski born 21 August 1988 is a Polish footballerwho plays as striker for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and captains the Polish national team.

After being the top scorer in the third and second tiers of Polish football with Znicz Pruszków, he moved to top-flight Lech Poznań, and was the top scorer in the league as they won the 2009–10 Ekstraklasa. In 2010, he transferred to Borussia Dortmund for a reported €4.5 million, where he won honours including two consecutiveBundesliga titles. Before the start of the 2014 season, he moved to their rivals Bayern Munich.

A full international for Poland since 2008, Lewandowski has earned over 65 caps and was a member of their team at Euro 2012. With 23 goals, he ranks eighth among their top scorers of all time.

Club career
Early career
Lewandowski started his career at Varsovia, where as a teen he played for seven years. The following year he moved to Delta Warsaw where he finally managed to play in the first team, scoring four goals.

In 2006–07, Lewandowski was the Polish third division's top goal scorer with 15 goals, helping Znicz Pruszków win promotion. The next season he was the top scorer in the Polish second division with 21 goals.

Lech Poznań

In June 2008, Lech Poznań signed Lewandowski from Znicz for 1.5 millionzłotys. Earlier that month, Lewandowski's agent Cezary Kucharski offered him to his former team Sporting Gijón, which had been promoted to the Spanish top league after ten years in the second tier. However, Sporting rejected him.

He made his debut for Lech in July 2008 as a substitute in a first round UEFA Cup qualifier versus Khazar Lenkoran fromAzerbaijan. In that match, he scored the only goal of the match. During his Ekstraklasa debut in the first game of the season in a match against GKS Bełchatów, he scored a heel flick goal just four minutes after coming into the game late second half. In his first season in the Polish top division, he was second in the goal-scoring charts. The next season, he became the top scorer with 18 goals and helped his team win the 2009–10 championship.

Borussia Dortmund
2013–14 season
On 27 July 2013, Lewandowski won the 2013 DFL-Supercup with Dortmund 4–2 against Bayern Munich. He scored his first goal of the season in Dortmund's 4–0 defeat of Augsburg in the club's opening Bundesliga match on 10 August. On 1 November, he scored his only hat-trick of the season in a 6–1 Bundesliga win against VfB Stuttgart.

On 25 February 2014, Lewandowski scored twice in Champions League round-of-16 first-leg against Zenit Saint Petersburg, becoming BVB's overall top scorer in European competition, surpassing Stéphane Chapuisat's 16 goals record. He scored his 100th goal for the club on his 182nd appearance, as Dortmund defeatedVfL Wolfsburg in the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal on 16 April 2014, and revealed a shirt with the number 100 in celebration.

Lewandowski ended the 2013–14 season as the top goalscorer in the Bundesliga with 20 goals. He also scored six goals in the Champions League, as Borussia reached the quarter-finals. During the second leg of the Round-of-16 match between Borussia Dortmund and Zenit St. Petersburg, Lewandowski received a second yellow card which resulted in him being suspended for the first leg of the quarter-final against Real Madrid.

Lewandowski played his final match for Dortmund in the 2014 DFB-Pokal Final against Bayern Munich on 17 May. Manager Jürgen Klopp had excused him from some training ahead of the final due to injury concerns; although Lewandowski played all 120 minutes of the final, Dortmund lost 2–0.

Bayern Munich


In November 2013, Lewandowski confirmed he would sign a pre-contractual agreement for Borussia Dortmund's rivals Bayern Munich which officially happened on 3 January 2014; signing a five-year contract, joining the team at the start of the 2014–15 season. Lewandowski was officially presented as a Bayern Munich player on 9 July 2014.

2014–15 season
Pre–season started on 9 July 2014 at which time he was presented. He made his pre–season debut on 21 July 2014, scoring a goal in the process. He made his first team debut for his new club in a 2–0 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the DFL-Supercup on 13 August 2014. He scored his first goal in a 1–1 draw against Schalke 04 in his second league match on 30 August. On 1 November, in his first league match against Dortmund, Lewandowski scored in a 2–1 win which put Bayern four points clear at the top of the table while leaving his former club in a relegation play-off place.

International career

Lewandowski made three appearances for Poland's U21 team, in friendly matches against England, Belarus and Finland.

His debut for the senior national team came on 10 September 2008, three weeks after his 20th birthday, against San Marino where he came on as a sub and scored one goal. Only Włodzimierz Lubański scored a goal on his debut for the national team at a younger age than Lewandowski, having been 16 at the time.

Playing in Warsaw in the opening match of the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament against Greece, Lewandowski scored the first goal of the competition after an assist from then Dortmund teammate Jakub Błaszczykowski and was named Man of the Match. He played in all three games for Poland in the tournament, as the co-hosts crashed out of the group stage with two points earned.

After his goal at Euro 2012, Lewandowski struggled for goals with the national side scoring just twice – both were penalties in the 5–0 win against San Marino on 26 March 2013 during the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign. Later on in the campaign, on 6 September, he scored the equaliser against Montenegro in a 1–1 home draw.

On 7 September 2014, in Poland's first Euro 2016 qualifier, away against Gibraltar, Lewandowski scored his first international hat-trick, netting four goals in a 7–0 win.

Outside football
Lewandowski was chosen to be on the cover of FIFA 15 Polish version next to Lionel Messi.

Personal life
Lewandowski's father, Krzysztof (died in 1995), was a Polish judo champion, and also played football for Hutnik Warszawa in the second division. His mother, Iwona, is a former volleyball player for AZS Warszawa and later vice-president of Partyzant Leszno. His sister, Milena, also plays volleyball and has represented the U21 national team. His wife, Anna Stachurska, won the bronze medal at the 2009 Karate World Cup.They married on 22 June 2013 in Warsaw.

Lewandowski is a practising Catholic. He met Pope Francis in October 2014 when Bayern Munich visited Vatican City following a 7–1 win over AS Roma.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Mario Götze(oblation)

Mario Götze born 3 June 1992 is a German footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder forBayern Munich in the German Bundesliga. In addition to his favoured role as a number 10, Götze is capable of playing as either a left or right winger and also as a false 9.Götze is considered to be one of the sport's best young players, possessing speed, technique, dribbling skills, and play-making capabilities. In 2010, German Football Association's then technical director Matthias Sammer described Götze as "one of the best talents Germany has ever had."

Götze was first selected for the Germany national football team in 2010, at the age of 18. He was included in the squad forUEFA Euro 2012 and, two years later, scored the winning goal in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final.

Götze played for Borussia Dortmund between 2009 and 2013, winning the Bundesliga title in 2010–11 and the Bundesliga andDFB-Pokal double in 2011–12, and was a member of the team which reached the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final. In April 2013, a €37 million bid from Bayern Munich triggered a release clause in Götze's contract, making Götze the second-most expensive German player to date, behind Mesut Özil.

Club career
Borussia Dortmund

Early career

Götze is a product of Dortmund's youth academy, first entering the club as an eight-year-old. He made his Bundesliga debut on 21 November 2009 in a scoreless draw against Mainz 05, coming on as a substitute for Jakub Błaszczykowski in the 88th minute. During the winter break of the 2009–10 Bundesliga season, Dortmund manager Jürgen Klopp promoted Götze to the first team. Götze took his chance and was an important player in Dortmund's Bundesliga-winning squad of the 2010–11 season. He finished 2010–11 season with 8 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.


He played in the 2011 German Super Cup' losing to Schalke 04. In January 2012, Götze was diagnosed with a hip injury. Cartilage in Götze's hip had inflamed under stress.

On 27 March 2012, Götze signed a new contract with Borussia Dortmund, keeping him at Borussia Dortmund until 2016. His contract, however, contained a release clause from Dortmund, triggered by a fixed transfer fee of at least €37 million. Götze spoke about his contract extension saying, "Everyone knows how comfortable I feel in Dortmund. The club are far from finished with their recent resurgence. And I want to be part of this development."

In April 2012, Götze made the squad for the first time since his hip injury but was an unused substitute against rivals Schalke 04. He played his first game since his hip injury when he came on as a substitute against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Götze won the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund in 2012 as Borussia Dortmund set a Bundesliga record scoring the most points in a season in the Bundesliga with 81 points (which was later broken by Bayern Munich in 2012–13). Götze also won the DFB-Pokalwith Dortmund (5–2) against rivals Bayern Munich in 2012. Götze finished the season with seven goals and eight assists in all competitions.

2012–13 season

He kicked off his season by losing the 2012 German Super Cup. On the first day of the 2012–13 season, Götze came on as a substitute and scored the winner against Werder Bremen in a 2–1 win for Dortmund. On 19 December, he netted a hat-trick, powering Dortmund to a 5–1 defeat of Hannover 96 in the third round of the DFB-Pokal.



Götze provided an assist and netted a goal in Dortmund's 3–0 second leg defeat of Shakhtar Donetsk on 5 March 2013, completing a 5–2 aggregate victory over the Ukrainian champions as Dortmund progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The result meant that Dortmund had advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time in 15 years. Götze was ruled out of the final against Bayern Munich at Wembley Stadium, London, as he suffered thigh injury against Real Madrid in the second leg of the semi-final, which his side lost 2–0 but still progressed to the final through an aggregate score of 4–3. His Dortmund side lost the final 2–1 after a lateArjen Robben goal sealed Bayern's victory.

In his final season at Dortmund, Götze formed a formidable partnership with German teammate Marco Reus. Götze also managed to score 16 goals and assisted 13 times in all competitions.

Bayern Munich

On 23 April 2013, it was announced that Götze was moving on 1 July 2013 to rivals Bayern Munich after they had triggered Götze's release clause of €37 million. The transfer made Götze the most expensive German player of all time. Mesut Özil eventually broke the record later in the summer, transferring to Arsenal for €50 Million. Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp claimed that the reason behind Götze's transfer to Bayern was the playmaker's wish to play under manager Pep Guardiola, formerly of FC Barcelona. Klopp admitted his annoyance at the timing of the announcement of Götze's move, as it was barely 36 hours before Dortmund's Champions League semi-final withReal Madrid. Klopp later said that Dortmund had no chance of convincing Götze to stay with Dortmund, as he claimed, "He (Götze) is a Pep Guardiola favourite."

2014–15 season
After helping Germany win the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Götze started his 2014–15 season on 13 August 2014. He came on as substitute in a 2–0 loss against his former clubBorussia Dortmund in 2014 DFL-Supercup. On 17 August 2014, Götze opened his scoring account in their first 2014–15 DFB-Pokal win against SC Preußen Münster. On 22 August 2014, he started and played for 62 minutes in their 2–1 home season opener victory against Vfl Wolfsburg. On 23 September 2014, he scored twice in Bayern's 4–0 home win against SC Paderborn. On 18 October 2014, Götze netted another brace in their 6–0 home win against Werder Bremen. On 28 October 2014, FIFA announced that Götze is included in the 23-man shortlist for 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or. On 22 November 2014, Götze scored a stylistic long range goal in their 4–0 win against Hoffenheimand it was voted as the Bundesliga goal of the week. On 14 February 2015, Götze scored his third brace of the season and assisted one in their dominating 8–0 win againstHamburger SV.

International career

After ascending through several youth teams, Götze was called up for his first senior match for Germany against Sweden, on 17 November 2010. He made his debut that day, coming on in the 78th minute in a goalless draw, substituting for his Dortmund teammate Kevin Großkreutz and becoming the youngest German international since Uwe Seeler. Götze and André Schürrle who came on simultaneously are the first two Germany players to be born in reunified Germany. He made his second appearance for the national team in a friendly match against Italy on 9 February 2011.

Götze's first goal for Germany was against Brazil on 10 August 2011; at 19 years and 68 days he became the joint-youngest goalscorer for the German national team in the post-war era along with Klaus Stürmer who scored on debut against France on 16 October 1954. Götze made his tournament debut in UEFA Euro 2012 after coming on as a substitute against Greece.

2014 World Cup qualification
Götze contributed four goals in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying, and was named in Germany's squad for the tournament finals.

2014 World Cup

He was named in the starting line-up against Portugal in the team's opening match, winning the penalty kick for Germany's opening goal on his FIFA World Cup debut. In the team's second match, he scored the opening goal and was named the Man of the Match in a 2–2 draw with Ghana. Götze played just 14 minutes in 0–1 win against the United States, half of theRound of 16 win against Algeria and seven minutes in their Quarterfinal 0–1 win against France. The fact that the German coach Joachim Löw brought on Julian Draxler for his first minutes of the World Cup in Germany's Semi-final 7–1 hammering of Brazil, keeping Götze benched throughout, perhaps was a wake-up call for him.

In the World Cup final against Argentina, Löw substituted 36-year-old Miroslav Klose after 88 minutes with Götze and told him "Show the world you are better than Messi and can decide the World Cup". Götze scored the only goal of the match in the 113th minute, controlling André Schürrle's cross on his chest before volleying the ball into the net, giving Germany their fourth World Cup. He became the first substitute to score a World Cup winning goal, and the youngest player to score in a World Cup Final since fellow German Wolfgang Weber in 1966 (who was also 22).

Style of play
Götze is capable of playing as either a left or right winger, attacking midfielder and also as a false 9. Götze is considered to be one of the best young players in the world, possessing speed, technique, dribbling skills, and play-making capabilities. At Dortmund under former manager Jürgen Klopp, Götze often played different roles in the team's 4–2–3–1 formation. Following the departure of fellow play-maker Shinji Kagawa in 2012, during the 2012–13 season, Klopp assigned Götze as central attacking midfielder. In Germany, Götze's talent is used by German coach Joachim Löw in the false 9 role.



German football legend Franz Beckenbauer described Götze as “German Messi" for his speed and style of play. In 2010, German Football Association's then technical directorMatthias Sammer described Götze as "one of the best talents Germany has ever had."

Outside football

Personal life
Götze was born in Memmingen, Bavaria. His father Jürgen Götze, is a professor at the Dortmund University of Technology. His older brother Fabian currently plays forSpVgg Unterhaching, having left Dortmund's youth system in 2010. His younger brother Felix currently plays for Bayern's under-17 team. Götze has been in a relationship with German lingerie model, Ann-Kathrin Brömmel since 2012. Götze is a Christian.

Sponsorship
In 2011, Götze signed a sponsorship kit deal with American sportswear and equipment supplier, Nike. He appeared in an advert for the Nike Green Speed II alongside Eden Hazard, Theo Walcott, Raheem Sterling, Christian Eriksen and Stephan El Shaarawy in November 2012. In March 2014, Götze was one of the first players to wear Nike Magista boots. Götze appeared as part of a Galaxy XI in an advertisement for South Korean company Samsung alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney,Radamel Falcao, Iker Casillas in a team managed by German football legend Franz Beckenbauer. On 14 August 2014, Konami announced that they had featured Götze on the front cover of Pro Evolution Soccer 2015.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Antoine Griezmann(oblation)

Antoine Griezmann born 21 March 1991 is a French footballer who plays for Spanish club Atlético Madrid mainly as a forward.

He began his career at Real Sociedad, where he spent five seasons before transferring to Atlético for €30 million.

Griezmann has been a French youth international, having represented his country at under-19, under-20 and under-21 level. In 2010, he was part of the team that won the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship on home soil. He made his debut for the senior national team in 2014 and played at that year's World Cup.

Club career
Early years

Griezmann was born in the commune of Mâcon in the département of Saône-et-Loire. His ancestry is Alsatian, hence his Germanic surname. He began his career playing for hometown club UF Mâcon. While there, he embarked on several trials with professional clubs in order to earn a spot in one of their youth academies, but was rejected because clubs questioned his size and lightweight frame.

In 2005, while on trial with Montpellier, Griezmann played in a friendly match against the youth academy of Paris Saint-Germain in Paris, and impressed several clubs, notably Spanish club Real Sociedad, whose scouts were attending the event. Following the match, the club's officials offered Griezmann a one-week trial in San Sebastián, which he accepted. He was later offered a second-week stay at the club. The club then contacted his parents and formally offered the player a youth contract. Griezmann's parents were initially reluctant to have their son move to Spain, but allowed him to make the move after positive reassurances.

Atlético Madrid

On 28 July 2014, Atlético Madrid reached an agreement with Real Sociedad for the transfer of Griezmann, for a fee believed to be close to his £24 million (€30 million) buy-out clause. He passed the medical examination the same day and signed a six-year contract on 29 July 2014.

Griezmann made his competitive debut in the first leg of the 2014 Supercopa de España on 19 August, a 1–1 draw away toReal Madrid, replacing Saúl after 57 minutes. On 17 September, he scored his first goal for the club, in a UEFA Champions League group match against Olympiacos, in a game which Atlético eventually lost 3–2. Griezmann netted a brace in a 4–2 win over Córdoba CF on 1 November, his first league goals for the club. On 21 December 2014, he scored his first La Liga hat-trick as Atlético won 4–1 at Athletic Bilbao, having trailed at half time. He was the La Liga Player of the Month for January 2015 despite appearing in only three of Atlético's five matches.

International career

Due to playing in Spain, Griezmann went unnoticed by several France youth international coaches. After his success with Real Sociedad, on 23 February 2010, he was named to the France under-19 team to play in two friendly matches againstUkraine. On 2 March, Griezmann made his youth international debut appearing in the team's 0–0 draw with Ukraine. In the return leg two days later, he scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute to give France a 2–1 victory.

On 7 June 2010, Griezmann was named to coach Francis Smerecki's 18-man squad to participate in the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. In the tournament, he scored two goals and provided an assist in the team's second group stage match against Austria, a 5–0 win, as the national team eventually won the competition on home soil.

Due to France's victory at the UEFA Under-19 championship, the nation qualified for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which merited under-20 team appearances for Griezmann. On 28 September 2010, he was called up to the team to participate in friendly matches against Portugal and the reserve team of Italian club Juventus. However, Griezmann did not appear in either match due to being sent home early after suffering a thigh injury during a training session The following month, despite still being eligible to appear at under-20 level, he was called up to the under-21 team by coach Erick Mombaerts as a replacement for the injured Gabriel Obertan to play in a friendly match against Russia. Griezmann made his under-21 debut in the match appearing as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 defeat.

After appearing in two matches with the under-21 team, Griezmann returned to under-20 level and made his debut with the team on 9 February 2011 in a 2–1 victory over England. On 10 June 2011, he was named to the 21-man squad to participate in the U-20 World Cup. He made his debut in the competition on 30 July 2011 in the team's 4–1 defeat to the hosts Colombia. On 10 August, in France's Round of 16 match against Ecuador, Griezmann scored the game-winning goal in a 1–0 victory.

In November 2012, Griezmann was suspended, along with 4 other youth players, from France's national teams until 31 December 2013 for disciplinary reasons regarding a late night out before training.

On 27 February 2014, Griezmann received a call-up to France's senior squad by coach Didier Deschamps to play in a friendly against the Netherlands at the Stade de France. He earned his first cap on 5 March, appearing as a starter in the 2–0 home win and playing the first 68 minutes.

On 13 May, he was named in Deschamps' squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. On 1 June, playing against Paraguay in Nice, he scored his first international goal for France, opening a 1–1 draw. He added two more as a late substitute for Olivier Giroud in France's final warm-up match, against Jamaica on 8 June, the final two in an 8–0 win.

On 15 June, he was selected to start in France's first match of the 2014 World Cup, replacing the injured Franck Ribéry on the left side of Les Bleus' attack as they defeated Honduras 3–0 in Porto Alegre. France reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Germany.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Xherdan Shaqiri(oblation)

Xherdan Shaqiri born 10 October 1991 is a Swiss footballer who plays as a midfielder for Italian club Inter Milan, and the Swiss national team. Since his breakthrough into FC Basel's first team, Shaqiri has drawn widespread praise for his speed, both on and off the ball.

FIFA's official website describes Shaqiri as "unpredictable on the ball, adept with both feet, clinical in front of goal and (possessing) excellent vision". He is nicknamed "the Alpine Messi" and "the magic dwarf". Shaqiri is already the most successful Swiss player of all time and the best of his generation.
Early life
Shaqiri was born in Gjilan, to Albanian Kosovar parents. He emigrated to Switzerland in 1992 with his parents and three siblings. He has dual nationality: Swiss and Albanian.He acquired Swiss citizenship through naturalisation.

Club career
FC Basel


Shaqiri played for SV Augst's and FC Basel's youth teams. While on Basel's youth team, he played in the Under-15 Nike Cup 2007 and was named the best player of the tournament, and, despite having several other clubs attempting to sign him, he decided to stay with Basel. He then played for their reserve team from 2007 to 2009 in the Swiss 1. Liga and just two years later, Shaqiri signed his first professional contract with Basel on 2 January 2009. The new contract was set to keep him at St. Jakob-Parkuntil June 2014.

Shaqiri made his Basel debut as a substitute on 12 July 2009 in Basel's 2009–10 season opening game against FC St. Gallen at the AFG Arena. On 9 November, he scored his first goal for Basel in a 4–1 win over Neuchâtel Xamax at home. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Shaqiri won the national Double with Basel and a year later won the League Championship title again.

On 7 December 2011, Shaqiri provided two assists in the match against Manchester United. The match ended in an upset with Basel winning 2–1. At the end of the 2011–12 season, for the second time in his Basel stint, he won the Double, the LeagueChampionship title and the Swiss Cup with Basel.

Bayern Munich

On 9 February 2012, Basel announced that Shaqiri had accepted a transfer to German club Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga for the 2012–13 season. The transfer fee was a reported €11.6 million, with Shaqiri signing a four-year contract with the German giants until 30 June 2016, making around €2 million per season.
On 10 July 2012, Shaqiri made his debut in a friendly match against German side SpVgg Unterhaching which Bayern won 1–0 by a goal of teammate David Alaba. His first official appearance for the club came on 20 August in a DFB-Pokal match against SSV Jahn Regensburg; Shaqiri came on as a half-time substitute and scored Bayern's second goal as well as providing assists for Mario Mandžukić and Claudio Pizarro as Bayern won 4–0. He helped Bayern secure top spot in theirChampions League group by winning the Man of the Match award in Bayern's 4–1 defeat of BATE Borisov on 5 December; Shaqiri scored a goal and provided an assist for the hosts, avenging their matchday two loss in Minsk. He did not score his first Bundesliga goal until the final league match of 2012, rescuing a 1–1 draw with Borussia Mönchengladbach, leaving Bayern in first at the winter break. In April, Shaqiri also scored in the DFB-Pokal semi-final against VfL Wolfsburg with a long-range effort. Although he didn't play in the final, Shaqiri won the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League title with Bayern in late May, as well as the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal title making him one of the Bayern Munich players to have won the treble.

Inter Milan

On 9 January 2015, Shaqiri transferred to Inter Milan, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract. English club Stoke City had previously declared interest in signing him. Two days later, Shaqiri was an unused substitute in Inter's 3–1 victory over Genoa at San Siro. His made his debut for Inter on 17 January, playing the last 16 minutes of the goalless draw away to Empoli at Stadio Carlo Castellani, replacing fellow new signing Lukas Podolski. Shaqiri made his first start and his Coppa Italia debut in a match againstSampdoria in the round of 16 on 22 January, scoring the first goal of the match, helping the team to a 2–0 win to progress into the last 16

On 15 February, Shaqiri scored his first Serie A goal in a 4–1 away win against Atalanta.Four days later, he registered his first goal for Inter in continental competition with the opener in a 3–3 UEFA Europa League draw with Celtic in Glasgow.

International career

Shaqiri made his debut for the Switzerland under-21 side on 11 November 2009 in a 3–1 win against the Turkey under-21s in a 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship qualifier. He scored his first goal on 11 June 2011 in the 2011 Under-21 Championship opening game against the Denmark under-21 side.

In 2010, Shaqiri was promoted to the senior team, making his debut on 3 March 2010 in a 1–3 friendly loss against Uruguay. He was included in the2010 World Cup squad, after receiving a surprise call-up from manager Ottmar Hitzfeld. On 7 September 2010, Shaqiri scored his first goal, a long range left footed shot, in a 1–3 loss against England in a Euro 2012 qualifier. In another Euro 2012 qualifier, on 6 September 2011, he netted a hat-trick, as Switzerland came from behind to defeat Bulgaria by a score of 3–1.

Switzerland also tried to select him to participate in the 2012 Olympic Football tournament, but he opted to stay at his new club for pre-season training

In June 2014, Shaqiri was named in Switzerland's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. In the team's opening match, Shaqiri was named man of the match by FIFA as the Nati defeated Ecuador. He earned the same title a mere ten days later in the Swiss team's third and final Group match, scoring a hat-trick against Honduras to ensure Switzerland a spot in the Round of 16,where they lost to Argentina.

Personal life

Shaqiri is a Muslim who celebrates Christmas and can be seen praying during games.

Outside football

Shaqiri was chosen to be on the cover of FIFA 15 in Switzerland next to Lionel Messi.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Tim Howard(oblation)

Timothy Matthew "Tim" Howard (born March 6, 1979) is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Everton and the United States national team.

Howard started his career with the North Jersey Imperials before making a move to the MetroStars. His appearances soon attracted the attention of Manchester United, who signed him in 2003. He enjoyed relative success with them as they won the 2003 FA Community Shield, the 2003–04 FA Cup and the 2005–06 League Cup. However, after United signed Edwin van der Sar, Howard went out on loan to Everton to play more first-team soccer and eventually signed permanently with them in February 2007. On January 4, 2012, Howard scored a goal, his first as a professional, againstBolton Wanderers. This made him only the fourth goalkeeper to score a goal in a Premier League match.[2]

Howard first represented the United States national team in 2002 and was an unused substitute for the 2006 World Cup. He later established himself as first-choice and started all of the United States' games at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups; the team reached the Round of 16 on both occasions.

He has a reputation for playing through pain. In September 2007 he accepted a call-up from the United States for afriendly against Brazil, and after an hour of the game his finger was dislocated in a collision. In March 2013, during anFA Cup game against Oldham Athletic he broke two bones in his back. In both incidents, he continued playing until the final whistle.

Early years

Howard was born in North Brunswick, New Jersey, to Matthew Howard – an African American, and Esther Howard (née Fekete), a native of Hungary. His parents divorced when he was three years old, and Howard lived with his mother, a project manager for a cosmetics distributor. His father, a long-distance truck driver for a health care firm, nonetheless maintained a presence in his life. He was determined to involve Howard and his brother, Chris, in sports. Before the two could walk, he had bought them equipment for various sports to see which ones they preferred. Tim showed a preference for basketball and soccer.

Howard was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome when he was in the sixth grade. Before Howard was a teenager, Tim Mulqueen, a one time assistant coach for the United States men's national under-17 soccer team, saw his potential at a soccer camp Howard attended and took the boy under his wing.In high school, Howard proved a star not only in soccer as a midfielder, but also on the basketball court, where he averaged 15 points per game and helped bring his team to the state finals in his senior year. However his talent and abilities as a soccer player were far more impressive. Despite his position on his high school team, Howard was a far better goalkeeper than he was a midfielder. Howard spent the first years of high school attending Montclair Kimberley Academy, a private school in Montclair, New Jersey. Howard left MKA in his junior year to go back to North Brunswick where he grew up, and graduated from North Brunswick Township High School. Between 1995 and 1997, he played for Central Jersey Cosmos. By the age of 15 he began playing in goal for U.S. youth national teams. He made his international debut against Honduras on the U-17 squad. In 1997, Mulqueen became the coach of the North Jersey Imperials, a team in the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues (USISL), and served as the goalkeeping coach for Major League Soccer's MetroStars; he immediately considered Howard for a position on the Imperials. In May of that year, a month before graduating from high school, Howard played for the Imperials in his first professional game.

Club career

Everton

Howard joined Everton on loan for the 2006–07 season and made his debut for the club against Watford on the opening day of the season. He signed a permanent deal with the club in February 2007 for a fee reported to be worth around £3 million.

In April 2007, Everton faced Manchester United at Goodison Park. Howard did not participate in the game, and there was some speculation that this came from a clause in his loan contract, even though a permanent deal had since been agreed. The Football Association investigated the allegation but found that neither Manchester United nor Everton had broken any rules regarding Howard's transfer and that both clubs had confirmed that Everton had been free to play Howard against Manchester United if they had wished to do so. He made his 100th appearance for Everton against West Ham United, on November 8, 2008. On April 19, 2009, in the FA Cup semi final, he saved two penalties against his former club Manchester United in a penalty shoot-out to send Everton to the final against Chelsea. During the 2008–09 season Howard set the club record for most league match clean sheets in a season. Howard started the 2009–10 season with four consecutive clean sheets, including away to Portsmouth where he helped his team secure a 1–0 win and claimed the man of the match award for his performance. Howard captained Everton for the first time in a 3–3 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on December 12, 2009.

International career

Howard started for the United States national team in the 1999 World Youth Championship in Nigeria and was a backup to Brad Friedel at the 2000 Summer Olympics. On March 10, 2002, he received his first senior cap, against Ecuador. On May 2, 2006, Howard was named as one of three goalkeepers on the United States roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, but served as a backup to Kasey Keller. Howard became the team's first choice goalkeeper under Bob Bradley and started in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, a 2–1 win over Mexico.

He was the starting goalkeeper for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, including the semi-final in which the United States upset Spain, then the number one-ranked team in the world. Howard's eight saves earned him his first clean sheet of the tournament and the first shutout of the Spanish side since 2007. Following the United States' second place finish in the tournament, Howard was awarded the Golden Glove award for best goalkeeper.
Howard was the starting goalkeeper for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in South Africa, and turned in a man of the match performance againstEngland in his World Cup debut. Howard's distribution to Landon Donovan led to the game-winning goal of the final group match against Algeria, giving the United States passage into the round of 16. During the United States' round of 16 game against Ghana, Howard conceded two goals in a 2–1 loss.

After Mexico defeated the United States to win the 2011 Gold Cup Final, Howard made a controversial statement regarding the post-match ceremony. The trophy presentation was conducted entirely in Spanish, despite the tournament being held in the United States. Howard went on to say that it was a "disgrace" and commented further that if the final had been in Mexico City and the United States had won, the ceremony would not have been made in English.

On June 7, 2014, in the build up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Howard received his 100th cap for the United States in a 2–1 defeat ofNigeria. On June 22, Howard was named man of the match for his display during the United States' 2–2 draw with Portugal; his most notable save was a reaction stop to deny Éder, having previously diverted Nani's shot onto the post.

On July 1, Howard was again awarded man of the match, despite the United States losing 2–1 to Belgium after extra time in the round of 16. During the match, he broke the record for most saves in a World Cup match with 15.

source:http://en.wikipedia.org/

Frank Lampard(oblation)

Frank James Lampard (born 20 June 1978) is an English professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder or defensive midfielder for Manchester City. He is the all-time leading goalscorer for Chelsea, where he played for 13 years, and is considered by a number of journalists and football experts to be one of the best midfielders of his generation. He has been described by previous record goal-scorer Bobby Tambling and long-term teammate John Terry as Chelsea's greatest ever player.

Lampard began his career at West Ham United, for whom his father Frank Lampard, Sr. had also played. He secured a place in the first team by the 1997–98 season, and the following year helped the team finish 5th in the Premier League, their highest-ever Premier League placing. In 2001, he moved to rival London club Chelsea for £11 million. In 2014, he was released by Chelsea after 13 years of service. Lampard then joined New York City FC on a two-year deal, in preparation for the club's Major League Soccer debut in 2015, as a free transfer, being loaned out to Manchester City in the meantime. On 31 December 2014, however, BBC Sport's David Ornstein revealed Lampard is under contract to Manchester City and not New York City as previously claimed by both clubs.

From his début, he was ever-present in the Chelsea first team and made 164 consecutive Premier League appearances, a record for an outfield player. He established himself as a prolific scorer at the west London club and was a key part of the sides which won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004–05 and 2005–06 and a domestic cup double in 2007. He signed a new contract in 2008, becoming the highest-paid Premier League footballer at that time, and scored in his firstChampions League Final that year. He won a second FA Cup winners' medal in 2009, scoring the winning goal in the final. In the 2009–10 season, Lampard helped Chelsea secure their first league and FA Cup Double, and also had his most prolific season with the club, scoring 22 league goals and 17 league assists. In 2012, Lampard captained Chelsea to their firstUEFA Champions League success and a year later to their first UEFA Europa League title. He was released by the club after the 2013–14 season.

A three-time Chelsea Player of the Year, Lampard is the club's all-time top goalscorer with 211 goals in all competitions. Lampard is one of seven players, and the only midfielder, to have scored 150 or more goals in the Premier League. He is second in the Premier League's all-time assists table, behind Ryan Giggs. In 2005, Lampard was votedFWA Footballer of the Year and was runner-up in both the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or. In 2010 he received the FWA Tribute Award.

Internationally, Lampard was capped 106 times by England since his debut in October 1999, and scored 29 international goals. He was voted England Player of the Year for two consecutive years in 2004 and 2005. He played in Euro 2004, where he was named in the team of the tournament after scoring three goals in four games. He was top scorer for England in their 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign with five goals, and played at three World Cups. He is England's most prolific penalty taker with nine goals, surpassing the previous record holders, Ron Flowers and Alan Shearer.

Club career

Chelsea

2013–14
On the opening day of the season, Lampard scored a free-kick in a 2–0 win against newly promoted Hull City. On 1 October, he scored his 205th goal for Chelsea in a 4–0 win away to Steaua Bucharest in the UEFA Champions League. On 23 November 2013, Lampard scored his 206th and 207th goals for Chelsea against his former club West Ham in a 3–0 win. Lampard moved to 4th on the all-timePremier League goal-scoring list on 2 December by beating Robbie Fowlers amount of 164 goals.On 22 February 2014, Lampard scored a stoppage-time winner against Everton, initially credited to John Terry but awarded to Lampard by the Dubious Goals Committee, keeping Chelsea in first place.On 2 April he played his 100th Champions League game, losing 3–1 to PSG. On 5 April 2014, Lampard scored 250th goal of his club career in a 3–0 win against Stoke City.



On 23 May 2014, Lampard was included on the list of players released by Chelsea. However, Lampard revealed that any contract talks with Chelsea would be decided after the 2014 World Cup, with a statement saying "he will meet with Chelsea before any consideration of a move elsewhere." On 3 June 2014, Chelsea confirmed Lampard would leave the club.

Manchester City

Signing and New York City controversy
On 24 July 2014 Lampard, as a free agent, signed a two-year contract with New York City FC to commence ahead of the 2015 MLS season. It was announced at a live press conference in Brooklyn that he would be joining the club, which will enter Major League Soccer for the 2015 season. Sporting director Claudio Reyna hailed him as "one of the greatest players in world history". NYCFC's parent club Manchester City announced on 3 August 2014 that Lampard would join the club on a six-month deal ending in January 2015. Initially reported as a loan, reports emerged on 31 December 2014 that that Lampard had signed a short-term contract with the club as a free agent with his MLS contract not to start until the end of his stay in Manchester. The same day, it was announced that Lampard would extend his contract with Manchester City until the end of the English season, missing the start of the 2015 MLS season and it was confirmed that that Lampard had never been an MLS player with his arrival date in MLS unclear.

Lampard extending his stay in Manchester prompted an angry response from fans in New York, with NYCFC being accused of dishonesty for using the player in their promotional material and MLS Commissioner Don Garber being accused of poor leadership and a lack of transparency in his handling of the affair. On 1 January 2015, Manuel Pellegrini hinted that Lampard could extend his stay at Manchester City to a second season. On 9 January, Manchester City admitted that Lampard had never signed a two year contract with NYCFC having instead originally signed a non-binding "commitment" to join the team. On the same day Lampard confirmed his intention to begin playing for NYCFC at the end of the 2014–15 Premier League season. Around 300 people asked for season ticket refunds in response to the affair, while the 2015 MLS SuperDraft started to a chant of “Where’s Frank Lampard?” from the crowd.

2014–15

Lampard made his Manchester City debut on 13 September in a 2–2 away draw against Arsenal; he received a yellow card and was substituted at half time for Samir Nasri. He scored his first goal for the club on 21 September with a volley from inside the box, after only being on the field for seven minutes as a substitute, to level the scoreline at 1–1 in a home draw against Chelsea. This ended Chelsea's perfect winning streak in the season, but it was a goal which he did not celebrate and described as a very emotional day. In Lampard's first League Cup match for City three days later, he scored the first and last goals as the side defeated Sheffield Wednesday7–0 at home in the third round. On 27 September, Lampard came on in the 71st minute, only to score another goal to make it four goals in four matches and his fourth that week. He made his first Champions League appearance on 30 September in Machester City's 1–1 draw with Roma. On 1 January 2015, the day after extending his stay with the club, Lampard scored the winner for City in aPremier League encounter against Sunderland.

New York City
On 10 January 2015, Lampard signed a Major League Soccer contract to play for New York City FC, beginning on 1 July.

International career

2014 World Cup qualification

Lampard started England's first game in qualification and starred as England thrashed Moldova 5–0, with Lampard scoring his 24th and 25th England goals. His first goal was England's 100th ever penalty and his second was a header from a cross from Glen Johnson, after Steven Gerrard was substituted he captained the side.

Lampard scored his 26th international goal from the penalty spot against Ukraine equalling the amount of goals scored by Bryan Robson.

On 22 March, he surpassed David Platt as England's highest scoring midfielder when he scored his 28th international goal in a 0–8 win over San Marino.

2014 World Cup
On 12 May 2014, Lampard was named in the 23-man England squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and a week later he was named vice-captain. On 24 June, for the last game of the group stage, Lampard captained his England side to draw with Costa Rica 0–0.

Retirement

On 26 August 2014, Lampard announced that he had retired from international football. He earned 106 caps, scoring 29 goals.

Style of play
Widely regarded by pundits, managers, and team mates as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, Lampard is an all-round and versatile box-to-box player, who is capable of playing anywhere in midfield; he has been deployed as a central midfielder, as an attacking midfielder, as a defensive midfielder, and even as a supporting striker on occasion. A hard-working player with stamina and an ability to read the game, Lampard is also capable of functioning creatively, due to his technique, vision, and passing range. In addition to his creative and defensive midfield roles, Lampard also possesses a keen eye for goal, due to his ability to make attacking runs, and his accurate, powerful shot from distance. These attributes enabled him to maintain a prolific goalscoring record throughout his career, despite his deep playing position. Lampard is also an accurate set-piece and penalty kick taker.

Personal life
Lampard attended Brentwood School between 1989 and 1994, finishing with eleven GCSEs, including an A* in Latin.

His father is Frank Lampard, Sr., the former West Ham United player and assistant manager who was still associated with the club when Lampard junior was playing for them. His mother Pat died in April 2008 aged 58 as a result of pneumonia. Lampard's uncle is Harry Redknapp and his cousin is Redknapp's son Jamie Redknapp.

In 2000, Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Kieron Dyer appeared on a sex video that was filmed at the holiday resort of Ayia Napa in Cyprus. Channel 4 aired a brief clip as part of their 2004 documentary Sex, Footballers and Videotape, claiming it was used to "remind the viewer that this is based on real life." On 23 September 2001, Lampard, along with three other Chelsea players was fined two weeks wages by the club for his behaviour whilst on a drinking binge on 12 September. Lampard and the others had abused American tourists at a Heathrow hotel, just 24 hours after the 11 September attacks. A hotel manager stated "they were utterly disgusting. They just didn't seem to care about what had happened".

It was reported by Mensa that Lampard showed an unusually high IQ score during neurological research carried out by the Chelsea doctor, Bryan English. English stated that "Frank Lampard scored one of the highest set of marks ever recorded by the company doing the tests".

In 2007, Lampard stated that he is a supporter of the Conservative Party.

Relationships
Lampard lives in Surrey and London. He has two daughters with his former fiancée, Spanish model Elen Rivas, Luna (born 22 August 2005) and Isla (born 20 May 2007).Since October 2009, Lampard has been in a relationship with presenter Christine Bleakley. On 15 June 2011, their engagement was announced by Lampard's agent.

On 24 April 2009, Lampard was involved in a radio confrontation with James O'Brien on the London radio station LBC 97.3. Newspapers had reported that following Lampard's split from Rivas their children were living with her in a small flat while Lampard had converted their family home into a bachelor pad. Lampard phoned in, objecting to criticism and asserting that he had fought "tooth and nail" to keep his family together.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

Mesut Özil(oblation)

Mesut Özil born 15 October 1988 is a German footballer who plays for English club Arsenal and the German national team. Özil has been a youth national team member since 2006, and a member of the German national team since 2009. He gained international attention during the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was nominated for the Golden Ball Award, which is awarded to the tournament's best player. Özil started his senior career at hometown club Schalkein the Bundesliga in 2006, transferred to Werder Bremen in 2008 and was signed by Real Madrid in August 2010 following his break-out performance at the FIFA World Cup with Germany. On transfer deadline day of summer 2013, he moved to Arsenal for a club-record fee of £42.5 million. The transfer makes him the most expensive German football player of all time.

Özil is acclaimed for his finesse and improvisation as an attacking midfielder. His style and ability for providing assists for his team-mates has been compared by former manager José Mourinho to that of Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane. In 2011, Özil ranked first in assists in major European and domestic competitions with 25. In 2012, he ranked first in assists in La Liga with 17. He was also one of the top assist providers in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012 with three in both 

Club career

Arsenal

On 2 September 2013, Özil agreed to join English side Arsenal. Both the fee paid for Özil as well as the contract duration were undisclosed, but they are believed to be around £42.5 million for a five-year deal. If correct, the transfer makes him the most expensive German football player of all time. Özil was assigned the number 11 shirt and the centre-attacking midfield role by the team.

Özil said of the transfer: "At the weekend, I was certain I would stay at Real Madrid but afterwards I realised I did not have the faith from the coach or the bosses. I am a player who needs this faith and that is what I have felt from Arsenal, which is why I have joined." In Özil's first press conference, he said: "I would have come here for free, that wouldn't have been a problem." Özil additionally stated thatArsène Wenger played an important role in his decision: "When I spoke to Arsène Wenger on the phone, he was full of respect, and as a player, I need that." Several Real Madrid players were dissatisfied with Özil leaving the club, including Cristiano Ronaldo, who said, "He was the player who best knew my moves in front of goal ... I'm angry about Özil leaving."

2013–14 season

Özil made his debut for Arsenal in their league game away to Sunderland on 14 September 2013. He assisted Olivier Giroud's goal in the 11th minute of the match as they went on to win 3–1. Three days after that, he made his Champions League debut for Arsenal against Marseille. Just over three weeks after making his debut for Arsenal, he made his home debut against Stoke City in a 3–1 victory. He was involved in all three goals, with two assists and a free kick which was saved but fell into Aaron Ramsey's path.He scored his first goal for Arsenal, a brilliantly controlled finish from a Ramsey cross, in a 2–0 win against Napoli in the Champions League. On 19 October, he scored his first two Premier League goals during the 4–1 home win against Norwich City. Özil played in all six of Arsenal's games in November. The German playmaker provided the cross forJack Wilshere's second goal against Marseille and gave further assists for Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini in the 3–0 win over Cardiff City. Özil missed the chance to score his fourth Arsenal goal when he saw his penalty in the win over Marseille saved by Steve Mandanda.

Özil was again short-listed for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award, along with former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Özil was also featured on the UEFA Team of the Year.

Özil began December with two goals in as many games against Hull City and Everton. A minor shoulder injury forced him out of the final game of December in a win againstNewcastle United. After the 6–3 defeat at Manchester City, Özil was involved in an altercation with teammate Per Mertesacker, who was angry with Özil's failure to thank the travelling supporters, an omission for which he subsequently apologised via Facebook.

Özil started four of Arsenal's six games in January. The playmaker missed Arsenal's victory over Cardiff City on New Year's Day with a shoulder injury before returning to make a late appearance from the bench against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup. The 25-year-old produced a slide-rule pass for Lukas Podolski to score his first goal against Coventry City and provided the ball for Santi Cazorla's goal against Southampton at the end of the month to take his assist tally to 10.

February was a difficult month for Özil as he struggled to reach the heights he showed in his first few months at the club. The German playmaker pulled off a brilliant piece of skill to win a penalty against Bayern Munich in the Champions League knockout phase, but his spot-kick saved by Manuel Neuer. Speaking before the draw with Manchester United, Arsène Wenger spoke about Özil, saying: "He has done well, he is adapting as well to the Premier League – we have seen it before [that it takes time]. I wouldn't like to put too much pressure on him because he has been a top-class player until now. He didn't have the best of games [at Liverpool] (a 5–1 loss, where Özil was the centre of attention due to a bad performance) but that can happen. He works very hard to adapt to the physical level of the Premier League and for me he is an exceptional player."

On 8 March, Özil scored his first goal of 2014 in a 4–1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Everton. Özil was showing signs of old form and started in Arsenal's second leg Champions League last 16 clash with Bayern Munich. He was subsitituted at half-time, and the reasoning behind it was that Özil had suffered a hamstring injury and will face a month out, missing key fixtures against Chelsea andManchester City.

On 20 April, Özil made an instant impact with a lively display against Hull when he returned to the Arsenal team in a 3–0 win.He then returned to goalscoring form with Arsenal's second in their 3–0 win over Newcastle United, and then assisted Olivier Giroud's header. Manager Wenger praised Özil's impact upon his return, saying "Mesut Ozil is very important for the team. He's been missed while he's been injured. We've missed some very important players in an important period of the season. We're really pleased to have people like him back in the team and performing at the top level because that's what we need."

Özil played all three of Arsenal's remaining fixtures during the last month of his debut season in England. The German playmaker came off at half-time in extra-time of Arsenal's2014 FA Cup final victory over Hull City at Wembley. Speaking before the FA Cup final, Per Mertesacker praised his compatriot's impact on the side during his first season in England. "You could see from the start that he is one of the best players in Europe," said Mertesacker. "His contributions and assists are vital for any club so we are happy to have him back." Özil completed his maiden season at Arsenal with 14 assists and 7 goals in all competitions, spanning a course of 39 games.

2014–15 season


Özil returned to club training in the middle of August after participating in Germany's 2014 FIFA World Cup win in Brazil. On 23 August, Özil made his first appearance of the season in the 2–2 draw with Everton at Goodison Park. On 27 August, he played a part in Alexis Sánchez's winning goal in the second leg of the Champions League qualification play-off against Beşiktaş, playing a one-two with Jack Wilshere in the build-up to the goal. On 20 September, Özil opened the scoring and assisted Danny Welbeck in a 3–0 victory against Aston Villa at Villa Park. The German playmaker featured in three following games and started in Arsenal's Champions League group stage victory againstGalatasaray, providing an assist for Alexis Sánchez in a 4–1 win. On 8 October, the DFB declared that Özil would be sidelined for between 10 and 12 weeks with a left knee injury obtained during a 2–0 defeat at Chelsea three days prior to the international break. The prognosis would rule him out of the remainder of Arsenal's Champions League group matches, and four international fixtures. On 11 January, Özil made his first appearance in three months as a 73rd minute substitute in a 3–0 win against Stoke City.He scored on his return to the starting line-up in Arsenal's 3–2 win at Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup on 25 January, latching onto a pass from Tomáš Rosický before scoring Arsenal's second goal. In his first Premier League start of the year, Özil scored once and provided an assist for Olivier Giroud as Arsenal beat Aston Villa 5–0 at home on 1 February.The following week, Özil scored the opening goal in the Gunners' 2–1 North London Derby defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

International career
2014 FIFA World Cup
Özil ended the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign as Germany's top scorer with eight goals.

Özil played in all seven of Germany's 2014 FIFA World Cup games, and scored the decisive goal in the 119th minute of Germany's 2–1 round of 16 victory over Algeria. Özil provided an assist for Sami Khedira in Germany's 7–1 semi-final win over Brazil. In the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final, Özil was replaced by Arsenal teammate Per Mertesackerafter 120 minutes, with Germany winning the game 1–0. He finished the competition with 15 chances created; the most of any German player, as well as registering a goal, an assist and a 78.6% pass completion rate at the tournament.
Style of play
A quick, creative and technical player, Özil excels in an advanced playmaking role, as a winger on either flank, or as an attacking midfielder through the centre of the pitch. A left-footed player, his main attributes are his vision, his control, and his passing range and accurate crossing ability which allows him to create chances, and provide many assists for team-mates.Germany under-21 manager Horst Hrubesch once said, "We in Germany are prone to rave about foreign players. We praise Wayne Rooney to the heavens, likewise Ronaldo or Messi. But we have our own Messi. Our Messi is Özil." In the UEFA Euro 2012qualifier against Belgium he scored a goal which has been described as a "work of art."Germany coach Joachim Löw hails Özil for his 'genius moments' and his performance without the ball.

Outside football

Personal life
Özil is a third-generation Turkish-German, who, in reference to his game, concludes, "My technique and feeling for the ball is the Turkish side to my game. The discipline, attitude and always-give-your-all is the German part." Although of Turkish descent, his entire life he has been committed to Germany. According to Özil's own words and the majority of sources, his ancestors are ethnic Turks from Devrek, Zonguldak in northwestern Turkey. However, there are sources that claim Özil's ancestors are ethnic Kurds from Diyarbakır.

Özil is a practising Muslim. He recites from the Quran before his matches. Talking to the Berlin-based daily Der Tagesspiegel, Özil said, "I always do that before I go out [on the pitch]. I pray and my teammates know that they cannot talk to me during this brief period." He observes fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan but he has admitted that: "Because of my job I cannot follow Ramadan properly. I do it only the few days I can, only when I have a free day. But other than that it's impossible, because you have to drink and eat a lot to stay at peak fitness."

In 2010, Özil received the Bambi award for being a prime example of successful integration within German society.

Özil has been dating singer Mandy Capristo since 2013.

Charity
As part of the BigShoe project, Özil donated his 2014 World Cup winnings, an estimated £240,000, to pay for 23 sick Brazilian children to have medical surgery as a "personal thank you for the hospitality of the people of Brazil".

Sponsorship
In 2013, Özil signed a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplier, Adidas. In 2013, Özil launched his own logo.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/