Top 11 FC Barcelona Legends Of All Time

While you’re coping with among the finest golf equipment on the earth, compiling any record of rankings is tough. Now attempt compiling that very same record, however having to sift via the complete complete and illustrious historical past of that membership, in addition to each individual that ever threw on the Barcelona uniform.

Barcelona are arguably essentially the most prestigious staff in Spain. The Camp Nou and La Masia, specifically, have produced and nurtured wonderful gamers and created legends over time. A number of the well-known Barcelona legends are nonetheless taking part in whereas most are retired.

“Barcelona had historical past and tradition, the coast, the climate, all wrapped round an exquisite soccer membership that was the non secular headquarters of a nation,” Sir Bobby Robson stated of the facet he managed within the 1996/97 season.

Robson was proper. Catalonia’s distinctive mix of artwork and fervour has come to be represented at Camp Nou. ‘Mes Que Un Membership’ – “greater than a membership” – is painted on the stadium’s seats and it’s extra than simply hyperbole. This isn’t only a soccer staff however an establishment.  So let’s run via the greatest-ever that the Catalan membership have seen.

Lionel Messi

The numbers of his profession need to be seen to be believed. 672 targets in 778 appearances for Barcelona. 228 assists on high of that. 10 home titles, 4 Champions Leagues, seven Ballon d’Ors, six European Golden Sneakers and eight hat-tricks in Europe (a joint file with you understand who).

We frequently speak of Messi’s achievements via pure numbers – and maybe that’s how he sees the sport, crunching the angles as he glides via defenders. Nevertheless it doesn’t do justice to the magic that he’s given to Barca followers alongside the best way. The last-minute Clasico objective through which he held his shirt aloft on the Camp Nou. Placing Jerome Boateng on his bottom. The Getafe objective. The transfer to false 9. The 2011 Champions League closing efficiency. The numerous moments he did one thing that nobody else might.

And that’s only a few. He’s not solely Barcelona’s biggest participant ever, he’s essentially the most proficient individual to ever lace up their soccer boots, having modified the sport one shoulder drop at a time.

Johan Cruyff

Thought by many to be the person who began all of it for Barcelona, the Dutch worldwide will go down in Catalan lore for hundreds of years to return. Upon becoming a member of the membership from Ajax again in 1973, Cruyff knowledgeable the papers that he had chosen Barça over Actual Madrid as a result of he couldn’t play for a membership related to Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

Nevertheless it was on the pitch that the flying Dutchman did most of his speaking. He scored 48 targets in 143 league appearances for the membership, and in his first season guided Barcelona to their first La Liga title since 1960, choosing up the Ballon d’Or within the course of, and successful the distinguished award once more the next season.

Nevertheless, most supporters will argue it was on the sideline the place Cruyff crafted his enduring legacy on the Nou Camp. He grew to become supervisor of the membership again in 1988 and launched the tiki-taka fashion of play that Barça continues to make use of in the present day. The brief passing and affected person motion in addition to the sustaining of ball possession has been irritating and vanquishing opponents ever since, and the group has a former chain-smoker from Amsterdam to thank for it.

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Ronald Koeman

Ronald Koeman was one of many key gamers of Barcelona’s dream staff of the early 90s.

The previous Barcelona supervisor is likely one of the finest goalscoring defenders within the sport’s historical past. Koeman, a set-piece specialist with a penchant for scoring from distance, used to function as a ‘sweeper’.

His tally of 86 targets for the membership would put many attackers to disgrace. One among Koeman’s strikes sealed Barcelona’s triumph within the 1991-92 European Cup closing, a yr earlier than the competitors was rebranded because the Champions League.

Koeman scored a staggering 44 instances in Barcelona’s 4 successive La Liga triumphs between 1991 and 1994. That included a formidable 16-goal marketing campaign in 1991-92, when Barcelona additionally gained the European Cup.

Carles Puyol

Former participant Carles Puyol is commonly described as a golden retriever slightly than a footballer. He captained the Catalans for seven years and is rated amongst Barcelona’s legendary defenders. He performed for Barcelona his whole profession and is at present the membership’s assistant sporting director at Barcelona.

Pep Guardiola

If this was a listing of Barcelona managers, there can be nobody above Pep Guardiola – as it’s, he was a blooming good footballer, too. The deep-lying playmaker was Johan Cruyff’s mind on the pitch, main the Blaugrana with intelligence and chew. He was robust, his passing was wonderful and even again then, he was a frontrunner fairly not like anybody else. He was a fulcrum within the Barca facet that gained the 1992 European Cup, too.

Sergio Busquets

A very extraordinary defensive midfielder. Busquets has been on the base of the staff for years and has calmly orchestrated the best period in Barca’s historical past, an iconic footballer.

After almost dedicating his whole profession to the Catalans, Busquets has determined to depart on the finish of 2022/23 season. The Barcelona legend has but to verify his subsequent membership however reviews recommend he would possibly be a part of Lionel Messi at his subsequent membership.

Rivaldo

Though he was poached from Deportivo de La Coruña again in 1997 for a cool 4000 million pesetas (about €19.5 million), the Brazilian nonetheless left an indelible mark on the membership for which he performed six seasons from 1997-2002. The attacking midfielder, who grew to become the primary of many gamers whose surname terminated in “o” to shine on the Nou Camp, tallied a formidable 130 targets in all competitions throughout his Barça profession and in 1999, gained each the FIFA World Participant of the Yr Award and Ballon d’Or in guiding the Catalans to the La Liga title.

His career-defining second at Barcelona got here again in 2001 within the final sport of the season in opposition to Valencia. In a 3-2 victory, Rivaldo secured a hat trick with an astounding bicycle kick from exterior the field within the ninetieth minute that discovered the again of the online and despatched the house supporters into an unbridled frenzy. Not solely did the mesmerizing strike give the membership a victory, nevertheless it additionally assured Barcelona a spot within the following season’s UEFA Champions League. Oh, and it was additionally Rivaldo’s 36^th objective of the yr: a season-best for the Brazilian attacker.

Andres Iniesta

The Spaniard first made himself identified to European audiences by approaching within the 2006 Champions League closing and altering the sport. His directness, dribbling, contact and motion has grow to be legendary, with mentor Pep Guardiola assessing that “his mastery of the connection between house and time,” is second to none.

As a result of although Iniesta was hardly ever the total cease on the finish of the transfer, he was all the pieces that Cules maintain pricey. He was stunning to observe, taken care of the ball like his life relied on it and performed the sport with such grace that he made it appear to be ballet. Lots have tried to copy him: none ever actually will.

Xavi

Xavi Hernandez is likely one of the finest midfielders within the sport’s historical past. Interval. The 41-year-old was the engine room of the Barcelona and Spain midfield throughout a massively profitable profession for membership and nation.

The eight-time La Liga and four-time Champions League winner orchestrated play from the center of the park like nobody else. Xavi might slice open the tightest of opposition rearguards with precision inch-perfect crosses and passes.

With over 750 video games, Xavi was Barcelona’s all-time look maker earlier than he was surpassed earlier this yr by Lionel Messi.

Like Iniesta, the La Masia academy product didn’t rating too many targets, however laid out loads of assists to teammates. Xavi, the present Barcelona supervisor, will look to return his boyhood membership to their heydays after taking cost in 2022.

Ronaldinho

The Brazilian is likely one of the biggest gamers of all time and he outlined the Rjikaard period at Barca with 94 targets and 71 assists in 207 video games. Purchased from PSG for a cut price in 2003, he’s fondly remembered by followers for his dazzling means on the sphere and the opposite worldly abilities underneath his sleeve.

Gerard Pique

At his peak, he might be essentially the most proficient defender of all time. The rock on the coronary heart of all the pieces sensible that Barcelona have achieved, Gerard Pique cemented his place in Barca hearts with a pay lower in the course of the exhausting time, too. Sturdy, vocal, an excellent passer and a taker of an amazing selfie, there are few centre-backs fairly like him.