David Villa, 27, is one of PlanetFootballs sharpest strikers. Small, fast and imaginative, always trying to defy the oppositions offside trap, he is capable of pulling apart even the most solid defence.

He started out at Sporting Gijon, moved on to Zaragoza in 2003, helped them to win the Kings Cup in 2004 then signed for Valencia in 2005. Villa guided Los Ches’ to cup success in 2008 but has frequently seemed frustrated at the clubs sporting and financial problems in recent years. He came close to joining Barcelona last summer and looked annoyed when Valencia changed their minds at the last minute and refused to sell.

He scored three goals at the 2006 World Cup and four atEuro 2008 , becoming tournament top scorer, though he missed the final with a pulled muscle.

Factfile:

Nicknames: La Furia Roja (The Red Fury); La Roja (The Red) Founded: 1913 FIFA affiliation: 1904 Highest FIFA ranking: 1 – July 2008 (first achieved) Lowest FIFA ranking: 25 – March 1998 Previous World Cup appearances: 12 (1934, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006) Best World Cup performance: Fourth Place (1950) Date qualified for finals: September 9, 2009