Top 10 Greatest Barcelona Players of All Time

Top 10 Greatest Barcelona Players of All Time

Barcelona has been one of the top teams in La Liga for many years. Many great legends in the history of football have played for Barcelona and continued the club’s legacy for decades. The club has produced many great players with amazing skills. Whether live at the stadium or in front of the television, the fans have truly enjoyed watching the game. Today through this blog you’ll know about the best Barcelona players of all time.

The Catalan giants have won over 26 La Liga titles and 30 Copa Del Rey since its existence. This is why it is one of the biggest clubs in the world with huge talented players. 

In 2020, the club becomes the richest club in the world with an annual turnover of €840.8 million. It is the first-ever club to break the 800million euros revenue barrier. With the let’s move forward to know the greatest Barcelona players of all time.

Top 10 Best Barcelona Players of All Time

In this article, you may find many great players, your favorite ones too. This list is made based on different criteria. FC Barcelona has given many talented soccer players to So, let’s find out who are the best Barcelona players of all time.

10. Hristo Stoichkov

• Position – Striker
• Years with FC Barcelona – 7 years (1990-95, 1996-98)

CAREER STATISTICS

• La Liga (1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1997-98)
• Copa del Rey- (1996-97)
• Super Copa de Espana-1992, 1994, and 1996
• UEFA Champions League- 1991-1992
• European Super Cup 1992, 1997
• Ballon d’Or 1994

Hristo Stoichkov is considered to be the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. He helped Johan Cruyff’s‘ Dream Team’ to win the European Cup in 1992 and 4 consecutive La Liga titles. Nicknamed as “El Pistolero” (“The Gunslinger”), his deadly partnership with Brazilian striker Romário in 1993 and 1994 saw them score over 50 goals between them.

Stoichkov was the top scorer in the 1994 FIFA World Cup and received the World Cup Golden Boot. He was known for his explosive acceleration and unpredictable powerful shots on goal. In 175 appearances he scored over 83 goals for FC Barcelona.

9. Ronald Koeman

• Position – Defender
• Years with FC Barcelona – 6 years (1989-95)

CAREER STATISTICS

• La Liga (1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94)
• Copa del Rey 1989-90
• Supercopa de Espana 1991, 1992, and 1994
• European Cup 1991-92
• European Super Cup 1992

Ronald Koeman was one of the greatest Barcelona players of all time. He was a part of Johan Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ and controlled the tempo of the game. In 192 appearances he scored 67 goals for the club. Famous for his powerful free-kicks and dead-ball ability, he set up quick attacks with long-range passes from the defense.

8. László Kubala

• Position – Forward
• Years with FC Barcelona – 10 years (1951-61)

CAREER STATISTICS

• La Liga(1951-52, 1952-53, 1958-59, 1959-60)
• Latin Cup 1952
• Copa Eva Duarte 1952, and 1953

László Kubala is considered to be the Hero of Barcelona and one of the greatest players of all time. He was known for his accurate finishing and skillful dribbling ability. In 186 appearances he scored 131 goals for the club. He scored a total of 14 hat tricks for Barcelona.

Kubala played for 3 national teams- Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Spain. After his retirement, he coached Barcelona senior team in 1962-1963 season.

7. Rivaldo

• Position – Attacking Midfielder 
• Years with FC Barcelona – 5 years (1997-2002)

CAREER STATISTICS

• UEFA Super Cup 1997
• La Liga(1997-98, 1998-99)
• Copa del Rey- (1997-98)
• Ballon d’Or 1999
• FIFA World Player of the Year 1999

Rivaldo is often regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. One of the most skillful and creative players, he scored 86 goals in 157 appearances for the club. His bicycle goal against Valencia in 2001 is among the greatest hat trick ever.

Rivaldo was famous for his bending free kicks and powerful shots on goal. He was an inductee to the Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame.

6. Carlos Puyol

• Position – Defender
• Years with FC Barcelona – 18 years (1996-2014)

CAREER STATISTICS

• La Liga (2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-2010, 2010-11, 2012-13)
• Copa del Rey (2008-09, 2011-12)
• Supercopa de Espana 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010
• UEFA Champions League- (2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11)
• FIFA Club World Cup 2009, and 2011

Carlos Puyol was considered to be one of the best defenders of his generation. He played his whole senior career for Barcelona when he joined at 17. After Luis Enrique’s departure, Puyol became the captain of the club. He was known for his leadership, determination, and great positional sense over that game.

For 10 years (2004-2014), he captained for Barcelona and won 18 major titles including 8 La Liga and 3 Champions League trophies. On 15th May 2014, he bid farewell to the world of football.

5. Xavi

• Position – Midfielder 
• Years with FC Barcelona – 17 years (1998-2015)

CAREER STATISTICS

• La Liga (1998-99, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2014-15)
• Copa del Rey (2008-09, 2011-12, 2014-15)
• Supercopa de Espana(2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013)
• UEFA Champions League 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2014-15
• UEFA Super Cup 2009, 2011
• FIFA Club World Cup 2009, 2011

Xavi is currently the manager of Al Sadd. He was one of the best central midfielders of all time. Xavi could exploit spaces and create chances for his teammates. He had great vision and accurate passing. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he had 91% passing success for Spain.

Known for his humbleness and team ethics, he was one of the greatest Spanish players of all time. Xavi’s signature move was performing a ‘Feint’. He won the World Soccer Player of the Year in 2010.

4. Andres Iniesta

• Position – Midfielder 
• Years with FC Barcelona – 16 years (2002-2018)

CAREER STATISTICS

• La Liga ( 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18)
• Copa del Rey (2008-09, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18)
• Supercopa de Espana (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016)
• UEFA Champions League 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2014-15
• UEFA Super Cup 2009, 2011, and 2015
• FIFA Club World Cup 2009, 2011, and 2015

A world-class midfielder and one of the greatest Barcelona player of all time. Andres Iniesta is regarded as one of the best midfielders of all time. He was an integral part of Barcelona that won two historic trebles in 2009 and 2015. Nicknamed as El Ilusionista (The Illusionist), he is known for his vision, dribbling skills, and ability to read the game.

His understanding and midfield play with Xavi have been praised by many sports enthusiasts. He scored the winning goal for Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals. Throughout his career at Barcelona, he won 33 major trophies.

3. Johan Cruyff

• Position – Forward
• Years with FC Barcelona – 5 years (1973-1978)

CAREER STATISTICS

• La Liga 1973-74
• Copa del Rey 1977-78
• Ballon d’Or 1971, 1973 and 1974

Johan Cruyff was one of the most influential figures in the history of football. As a player, he won 3 Ballon d’Or throughout his career. He inspired Barcelona to win La Liga for the first time since 1960. Cruyff led Netherland to the 1974 FIFA World Cup finals.

In the finals, he performed a feint which was later named ‘Cruyff turn’. His philosophy of Total Football had influenced many players and managers. Truly a great player Barcelona could ever have.

2. Ronaldinho

• Position – Forward
• Years with Barcelona – 5 years (2003-2008)

CAREER STATISTICS

• La Liga (2004-05, 2005-06)
• Supercopa de Espana 2005, and 2006
• UEFA Champions League 2005-2006
• Ballon d’Or 2005

Ronaldinho was absolutely magical in Barcelona. He wore the classic No. 10 jersey and was one of the most skillful players of all time. His famous tricks included feint, no-look pass, stepover, and nutmeg. He received a standing ovation from Real Madrid fans for scoring two phenomenal goals in El Clasico at Santiago Bernabeu.

The Brazilian forward was instrumental in Barcelona winning UEFA Champions League in 2005-06. He had a world-class first touch with the ball and was the coolest player under pressure situations. Ronaldinho dazzled the fans with his smile and dance.

1. Lionel Messi

• Position – Forward
• Years with Barcelona – 16 years (2004-present)

CAREER STATISTICS

• La Liga ( 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19)
• Copa del Rey (2008-09, 2011-12, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18)
• Supercopa de Espana (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018)
• UEFA Champions League 2005-06, 2008-09, 2010-11, and 2014-15
• FIFA Club World Cup 2009, 2011, and 2015
• Ballon d’Or 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2019

Lionel Messi is the greatest Barcelona player ever. He has proved himself as the best football player in the world. The Argentine striker has won a record of 6 Ballon d’Or and 6 European Golden Shoes. Messi is popularly known for his short blast of acceleration and accurate striking ability.

Nicknamed as La Pulga Atomica (“The Atomic Flea”), Messi is one of the best dribblers in the world. In 474 appearances he scored over 438 goals for the club. While playing his whole career in Barcelona, he has dominated football for many years now.

Conclusion

There are great players like Luis Enrique, Romario, Samuel Eto’o, Michael Laudrup who couldn’t make it to the top 10 greatest Barcelona players of all time. Some fans would Diego Maradona is the greatest Barcelona player ever but his 2 years at Barcelona didn’t produce many trophies for the club.

His memorable moments came with Napoli and Argentina. Camp Nou has seen many finest players to play and create lifetime moments for the club. I hope you like this article and show some love by sharing this article with your friends. Until next time, Peace.