Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta defined Daniel Alves as "the best right-back in the entire world" as the club signed him for the astonishing sum of €35 million in 2008. It was one of the most expensive sums ever paid for a defender and few would argue with his assessment.

From humble origins, Alves was born in the town of Juazeiro, in the state of Bahia. Esporte Clube Bahia was his first club; that's where he grew up and became a soccer player. He came up from the junior divisions of that institution to reach the national team that won, in 2003, the Under-20 World Cup in Qatar. He was also chosen as the best defender of the tournament.

From Bahia he moved to Sevilla in 2002, and there he won the Copa del Rey, Supercopa of Spain, European Super Cup and UEFA Cup before sealing his move to Barca. A winner in every sense of the word, he was part of the side that won six trophies in one season, although still struggles to hold down a place for the Brazilian national side, due to the presence of Maicon.

Strengths: His speed, which he often uses as an attacking weapon, makes him another forward in the line-up.

Weaknesses: Sometimes he tries too hard to find a space to attack the goal and neglects his defensive duties.

Career high: Scored a goal against Argentina in the final game of the Copa America 2007, as Brazil won the final.

Career low: Missing the Champions League final in 2009 through suspension.

Style: A strong, fast player on both sides of the field.

Quotes: "Without a doubt, he is my natural heir in the Selecao (Brazil national team) because we have very similar playing styles. And I'm proud that a compatriot is doing so well at a club like Barcelona." Brazil's legendary full-back Cafu.

Trivia: He once threatened the Sevilla management to refuse to play against AEK in a UEFA Champions League group game, if they refused to start negotiating with Chelsea, a team that had expressed interest in his services.