Barcelona is the most successful club in Spain and one of the best in world football. They have won 75 trophies, including 26 La Liga titles and five Champions League trophies. This was made possible by having a stellar line of players who left everything out on the pitch to use a very football phrase every time they played. With the long list of footballers who’ve played for the Catalan club, who are some of the best Barcelona players of all time?
15. Pep Guardiola
Guardiola was part of Johan Cryuff’s team that won four consecutive league titles between 1991 and 1994. He played in a defensive midfield role and enjoyed a lot of success during his career at Barca.
If his playing career didn’t cement his place amongst Barcelona’s best, then his coaching career at the club did. He returned to Camp Nou in 2008 and had one of the most successful stints during his four-year stay at the club.
Influenced by his former late coach Johan Cryuff, Pep adapted his philosophy and produced an all-conquering team. He won three La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.
14. Gerard Pique
The Spaniard is the only player on the list still at Barcelona. He joined in
2008 from Manchester United and has played for the Catalan club since. He’s made over 600 appearances and won everything there is to win in club football. Pique established himself in the team where he’s faced the best and worst moments, from the days of Pep Guardiola to the current political and financial mess. He is Barca through and through and one of the best in the club.
13. Dani Alves
The Brazilian was one of the best right-backs in the world. He reinvented how the position is played by moving the ball with great intensity up the wing and offering an attacking threat. He scored 22 goals and won six La Liga titles, five Spanish Super Cups, and three Champions League trophies.
12. Victor Valdes
In his prime, Victor Valdes was one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He was part of the all-conquering Barcelona team led by Pep Guardiola, played in 536 games, and conceded 441 goals.
Internationally, he received only 21 caps as he competed for a slot against Iker Casillas, the country’s number-one player. That said, he remains to be one of the best Barcelona players.
11. Neymar
Many argue that he had his best days as a professional footballer at Barcelona. Neymar arrived at the club in 2013 with much hype and fanfare, with many stating that he would eventually become the leading man, playing with a Brazilian flair and entertained fans with his trickery, just like his compatriot Ronaldinho.
He was part of one of Europe’s deadliest strike force MSN – Messi, Suarez, and Neymar. He scored 105 goals in 186 appearances, and after years of playing under the shadow of Messi, he left Catalunya for the French capital and joined PSG for a world-record fee.
Many wonder what could have been if he had stayed back, but that doesn’t negate the fact that he is one of the best players Barcelona has had.
10. Luis Suarez
The Uruguayan joined Barcelona after his bite at the World Cup that saw him banned for four months. He’d also left Liverpool, where he came so close to winning the Premier League, only for former Englan Captain to slip, a moment that arguably led to the Reds not winning the league.
He put all this past him and had a stellar career at Barcelona. He played 283 games and scored 195 goals. Although he never won the Champions League at the club, he managed four league titles and proved why he is one of the best strikers and players to have played for Barcelona.
9. Samuel Eto
Considered the best African footballer, the Cameroonian was also a fan favorite during his time at Barcelona. His ability to produce game-changing moments made him an indispensable player on the team.
He netted 131 goals in 201 games, the most by an African player in La Liga. He was the league’s top scorer in 2004/05 with 25 goals and 2005/06 with 26 goals. Eto left Barca having won the Champions League twice, the league thrice, two Spanish Super Cups, and two Copa Catalunya titles.
8. Rivaldo
The Brazilian joined Barcelona in 1997 and spent five years at the club. He scored 130 goals and won the Spanish League twice and the Copa del Rey and UEFA Super Cup once.
In 1999, he was named FIFA Player of the Year and won the Ballon d’Or. Rivaldo is not just one of Barcelona’s best players but also one of its best strikers.
He moved elegantly with the ball and certainly knew where the goal mouth was.
7. Ronaldo Nazario
Not CR7, the original Ronaldo. The one with that iconic cut at the top of his head in 2002. The Brazilian signed for the club in 1997 at 19 from PSV and only played at Camp Nou for one season.
He made the most of it and delivered one of the best seasons a footballer in a Barca shirt has, scoring 49 goals in 47 games (34 in the league), won the Pichichi and the European Golden shoe.
Ronaldo also won the Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, and European Cup Winners Cup. The same year, he was named FIFA Player of the Year and won the Ballon d’Or.
One of the best Barcelona players, hands down.
6. Charles Puyol
No doubt, Puyol is one of FC Barcelona’s best players. He is also regarded as one of the club’s best defenders. He captained the side through some of its most successful periods and led one of Europe’s strongest defenses.
Puyol played 593 games for the Catalan club, 392 in La Liga. The stonewall defender won six La Liga titles, three Champions League trophies, two Spanish Cups, eight Spanish Super Cups, and two EUFA Super Cups.
5. Andres Iniesta
Iniesta might have been one of the unsung heroes of the Barcelona team. While his impact on the team was evident, the goalscorers took all the plaudits.
He was a Barca favorite and mesmerized many with his dribbling, passing, and shooting skills. The ball never left his feet, and he knew where to place it. He played 674 games and scored 57 goals.
4. Xavi
Alongside Iniesta was Xavi. He also created some of football’s best moments with his ability to unlock defenses. Xavi was the classic La Masia product and embodied the values of the football club.
He scored 85 goals in 767 appearances and won every title to win at the club. The Spaniard wasn’t the flashiest and quickest, but his technical ability was, without question, one of the best.
3. Ronaldinho Gaucho
The Brazilian is among the most skillful players we have watched on a football pitch. He moved the ball gracefully and played with the Brazilian flair famously described as samba football.
Ronaldinho did things with his feet others couldn’t and, at the same time, contributed to 94 goals in his 207 appearances. He won La Liga, the Champions League, and the Spanish Super Cup.
His years at the club were his prime, and he went on to win the Ballon d’Or – certainly one of Barcelona’s best players.
2. Johan Cryuff
You cannot talk about Barcelona and not mention Johan Cryuff. He is Barca, and Barca is him. He left an indelible mark on the club, joining in the 1970s and, in his first season, helped them to win the La Liga title in ten years.
Due to his sheer brilliance, he clinched three Ballon d’Or titles during his time with Barcelona.
The late Dutchman left the club in 1978 but returned in a coaching capacity in 1988 and standardized one of the best football philosophies in world football, total football. He led the team to four La Liga trophies and a European Cup. No wonder he makes it into this list of Barcelona’s best players.
1. Messi
What more can we say and write about the little Magician? All superlatives have been used; We’ll pick one: GOAT. He is not just the best Barcelona player to play at Camp Nou; he is considered the best in world football.
Here are some of his stats. The Argentine scored 672 goals in 778 games; the most anyone has in La Liga’s history. Additionally, he’s made 303 assists.
Apart from his goals, which he takes ever so well, he gave world football some of its best moments. After he scored the winner in the El Clasico in 2017, he held his shirt in front of the Bara faithful at the Bernabeu.
Remember when he left Jerome Boateng on the floor in the Champions League in 2015? There’s more, but we’ll leave it at that.
Conclusion
Who are some of the best Barcelona players you’ve watched? Have they made it to our list? Let us know.