Messi, Tevez chosen

Coach Alfio Basile picked the core of Argentina's 2006 World Cup side for the friendly in Berne, which he hopes will be the first of two in Europe - with a rival yet to be named for June 6th.

While he has previously picked exclusively South American-based players for friendlies on their home continent, he has decided to choose an all-European league squad for the mini-tour in the northern hemisphere.

Defenders Roberto Ayala and Gabriel Heinze, midfielders Lucho Gonzalez, Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Mascherano and strikers Hernan Crespo and Javier Saviola were also chosen.

"It's great how well the kids are playing," Basile said of young strikers Messi - who stars for Barcelona - and Tevez of West Ham.

"When we played against France we had Saviola at his best. Now we have Crespo, Messi and Tevez."

The pair missed Argentina's 1-0 win over France in Paris in February, in which Saviola scored, while Crespo has been in fine scoring form for Internazionale.

Midfielder Mascherano is back after missing the France game having just joined Liverpool from West Ham, where he saw little action. He has since helped Liverpool reach the Champions League final.

There are two newcomers among the 20, Nuremberg defender Javier Pinola and Racing Santander midfielder Ezequiel Garay.

Roberto Abbondanzieri (Getafe), Leonardo Franco (Atletico Madrid);
Roberto Ayala (Valencia), Gabriel Milito (Zaragoza), Nicolas Burdisso (Internazionale), Gabriel Heinze (Manchester United), Javier Pinola (Nuernberg);
Pablo Aimar (Zaragoza), Esteban Cambiasso (Inter), Javier Zanetti (Inter), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid), Luis Gonzalez (Porto), Jonas Gutierrez (Mallorca), Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Ezequiel Garay (Racing Santander);
Carlos Tevez (West Ham), Diego Milito (Zaragoza), Hernan Crespo (Inter), Javier Saviola (Barcelona), Lionel Messi (Barcelona).