Full name: Thiago Alcántara do NascimentoSquad No: 11Position: MidfielderDate of birth: 11 April 1991Place of birth: San Pietro Vernotico ItalyHeight: 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)Weight: 71 kg (157 lbs) Mazinho's career led his family back to his homeland where Thiago made his first football steps At the age of four the young boy started attending Flamengo's youth programs but the very next year the family once again moved There Thiago joined the youth ranks of Ureca de Vigo a local team where he honed his skills for the next five seasons In 2001, Thiago returned to Flamengo where he stayed for four more years, but his talents were really noticed in 2005, after a short stint back in Galicia with Ureca. Many teams were after the promising youngsters, but only FC Barcelona was able to get his signature As a 14 year-old he joined the Cadete side and quickly progressed through the youth ranks and was promoted to the Barca B team in the 2008-09 season Thiago immediately became a key component of Luis Enrique's side. Day in, day out he showcased his skills and it didn't take long for Thiago to get invited to training sessions with the first team. Thiago made his first team debut on 17 May 2009 in a league match against RCD Mallorca when he came on as a substitute and played the last 19 minutes His first goal came in his next league appearance when he beat Racing Santander goalkeeper Fabio Coltorti Thiago's role with the first team increased in the 2010-11 season While he was officially still a member of the reserves he spent more time with Messi and company than with the B team After the season ended Thiago signed a new contract and was promoted to the first team closing his B team account at 59 appearances and three goals So far Thiago has made 29 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side and managed to find the back of the net five times Thiago has also been a fixture in international football Thiago chose to play for the Spain's youth selections where at each level he was the primary playmaker He led both the U-17 and U-21 teams to European Championship glory and was even selected as the best player of the U-21 tournament in Denmark Thiago earned his senior team debut for Spain even though he again had the option to play for Brazil in a friendly match against Italy on 10 August 2011 His first competitive cap came one month later when he appeared in an Euro 2012 qualifying match against Liechtenstein Thiago now has three appearances for Spain's senior team but he is still waiting for the first goal ProfileThiago in an attacking minded midfielder with good pace His vision and passing are two of his best attributes but he is also owns a terrific long range shot With his dribbling abilities and technique Thiago has already proven he can make plays out of nothing He has a knack for scoring goals as even with his lack of size he knows how to get open in the penalty area With added experience Thiago has the potential to become one of the top midfielders in the world UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship (1): 2008 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship (1): 2011 Thiago signed a contract extension in June 2011 that will keep him in Barcelona until 2015 The new contract also includes a €90 million buyout clause BORN TO A World Cup-winning father in Mazinho, Thiago and Rafinha Alcántara have been surrounded by football and its culture for as long as they can remember, including growing up with cousin and current Valencia forward, Rodrigo. The two brothers came through the ranks at Barcelona, at the famous La Masia academy typically calm on the ball with intelligent footwork and with a will to express themselves Mazhino’s travels as a player led to the cultured lives his sons experienced and is also part of the reason they chose to represent different nations. Thiago Alcántara do Nascimento was born on 11 April 1991 in San Pietro Vernotico, Italy, whilst Mazinho was playing for Lecce. Rafinha was born just under two years later on 12 February 1993 in the juxtaposed Brazilian city of São Paulo Thiago started his football career in the lower ranks of Brazilian club Flamengo before moving to Spain at the age of five with his father where he joined Ureca in Nigrán (north-western Spain) Thiago’s impressive performances didn’t go unnoticed and at the age of 14 Thiago’s development was rapid and in the 2008-09 season he earned a promotion to Barcelona’s B team where he played 25 games His impressive form throughout the season meant he was rewarded with a first team debut on 17 May 2009, replacing Eidur Gudjohnsen in a 2-1 loss to Mallorca Thiago had to wait a while for a full first team breakthrough though he may not have made the trial if it weren’t for his father In 2015 he told Barça TV: “My father told me Barcelona wanted to trial me He told me we were going to visit my brother because he knew I was afraid of the trial.” Rafinha’s intelligent movement was evident from a young age A year after playing in goal to then impressing in Barcelona’s Infantil B squad takes some doing his progression was obvious and Rafinha made his Barcelona B team debut in January 2011 replacing Jonathan dos Santos in a 2-1 loss to Girona FC Rafinha was called up to the first team and made his debut in November 2011 in the Copa del Rey against CE L’Hospitalet replacing fellow academy graduate Cesc Fàbregas with around 15 minutes remaining not to mention the presence of Cesc Fàbregas Read  |  La Masia: dilemmas from inside the world’s most famous academy The summer of 2013 was a frantic one for Thiago The 2013 UEFA European under-21 championship was hosted in Israel and Thiago was the catalyst for Spain captaining La Rojita to retaining the championship scoring a first-half hat-trick in the final against Italy in which Spain won 4-2 and earning himself the player of the tournament award Just under a month later, Thiago had signed with former manager Pep Guardiola at German giants Bayern Munich for a fee of €25 million The chance to work with Guardiola again wasn’t one that could be turned down and the promise of first team football made the deal irresistible Guardiola’s admiration was clear: “I spoke to the club about my concept and told them why I want Thiago It’ll be him or no one.” High praise indeed Rafinha was also on the move in 2013 as he was loaned to Celta Vigo to gain first team experience where he spent much of his time as a youngster growing up Luis Enrique quickly became a fan of Rafinha trusting him throughout an impressive season for the club The youngster made 33 appearances in the one season he spent at Celta It plainly obvious that both players have an incredible amount of talent but their work ethic and desire to bounce back from adversity is admirable Thiago won the Bundesliga title and German Cup in his first season with Bayern but he wasn’t able to celebrate in the way he’d have dreamt Thiago couldn’t hold back the tears as he embraced the Bayern physiotherapists he vlogged his experiences as he aimed to get back to full fitness named 371 after number of days his recovery took Appearances from Rafinha show just how close the two are and how much the Barcelona man looks up to his older brother: “I think our relationship is the best brothers can have a strong character and a person who knows what he wants Thiago’s knee ligament tear would be the first of a few injuries but he always fights back to showcase his talents He started the 2015-16 season well but in September suffered a torn right anterior cruciate ligament after a heavy tackle from Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan Thiago wrote a heart-warming message to his younger brother via Instagram showing his support for his brother: ‘Now I finally understand when mom said ‘I wish it was my knee and not yours’ Because that’s what I’m feeling right now when I think of you and I’m sure mom will be feeling the same thing People have always told us that we’d have to fight for our dreams But they never said the walls on the road would be this tall and slippery But I still want to climb one more wall with you This dream you were living was nothing but a dream because what awaits you is bigger than you’ve ever imagined.’ From watching their father’s training sessions at various clubs he played for and copying his skills in the living room Thiago and Rafinha have developed into top class players Rafinha still has a challenge to cement a starting place at Barcelona but with Iniesta now 32 and suffering from persistent injuries there may be a chance for him to show manager Luis Enrique that he should be starting week in who signed from Valencia for over €35 million in the summer Thiago has developed into one of Bayern’s most important players under new manager Carlo Ancelotti he will be looking to cement his position amongst the world’s elite midfielders and as long as he can stay fit it’s a realistic opportunity Whether Rafinha can become a Barcelona regular is unknown as is whether Thiago can become a world-class midfielder but one thing that won’t change is the Alcántara brothers’ special bond they’re amongst football’s favourite siblings By Kieran Stewart  @kieransstewart