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When you think of Barcelona, several things come to mind. Among those should be success, prestige, and goals – lots and lots of them.
The Catalan club have had a firm grip on the Spanish top flight for a very long time now, and with several top-class goal-scorers in their ranks, it’s certainly not hard to see why. Over the years, some remarkable attackers have worn the famous shirt, but which players have made the most impact when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net?
We take a look below.
(N.B Goals in friendly fixtures counted as unofficial.)
#1 Lionel Messi
It’s hard to imagine anyone surpassing Lionel Messi as Barcelona’s highest ever scorer. With 461 official goals (and counting) to his name, the diminutive Argentinean will forever be remembered as the greatest player to ever wear the shirt.
Messi has also scored the most goals in European competition for the club, he is a five-time Balon d’Or winner, and it’s highly likely that he’ll win it again before he hangs up the boots.
His time at Barcelona has seen an extended period of success sweep through. Since his introduction to the first team, the club has gone on to win La Liga on eight occasions and the UEFA Champions League four times.
#2 Cesar Rodriguez Alvarez
This Spaniard held the record as Barcelona’s leading scorer with 232 official goals for nearly six decades before Messi broke it in 2012.
In a Barcelona career spanning from 1942-1955, Cesar made 351 appearances for the La Liga side, winning five league titles in the process, as well as eight other major trophies.
The forward rose to fame at Granada after military service had forced to join them on loan. He scored 23 goals in 24 appearances before returning to Barcelona, where he would gain legendary status.
Blessed with great technique and a wonderful eye for goal, Cesar would dominate defences for years, but remained a humble soul until his retirement. He would go on to manage the Catalan club thereafter, and died at the age of 71 in Barcelona.
#3 Laszlo Kubala
This forward represented Barcelona from 1950 to 1961 and scored 194 times in 256 appearances for the club. Hungarian by birth, Kubala was also a citizen of Spain and Czechoslovakia. He played for all three countries at different points in his illustrious career.
A robust presence up front, due to his fondness of amateur boxing, the attacker could topple the meanest of defences with graceful skill, strong finishing and ability on the dead ball. He actually found the back of the net 280 times, but only 194 were recorded as official.
Kubala won La Liga on four occasions, also going on to coach both Spain and Barcelona following his retirement.
#4 Josep Samitier
Josep Samitier, also known as Jose Samitier, remains a Barcelona legend, despite his affiliation with the club’s bitter rivals Real Madrid. A talented midfielder in his time, Samitier was dubbed ‘The Magician’ and ‘The Grasshopper Man’ because of his playing style.
The Spaniard spent 13 years at Barcelona, during which he won the Catalan Football Championship (Catalonian league which stood before La Liga’s formation in 1929) a whopping 12 times and scored 333 goals with 178 of them counting as official.
Samitier would also win a La Liga title with Barcelona, but moved to Madrid thereafter, winning the league there as well.
After retiring as a player, he would return to Barcelona as a coach. He is also responsible for recruiting Laszlo Kubala during his time as a talent scout for the club. Things would turn sour after some time, however, and he would leave Barcelona for Madrid yet again.
#5 Josep Escola
This Spanish forward played for Barcelona from 1934-1937 and then 1940-1949 with the break coming as a result of the Spanish Civil War and an exile placed on sportsmen thereafter.
During his stints with the club, Escola found the back of the net 163 times, scoring a further 60 goals in friendly competitions. He won La Liga on two occasions with the club as well.
Escola was an exceptionally good shooter blessed with loads of technical ability. He’s especially remembered for his sportsmanship on the pitch, and could be used as a great example for the modern footballer in such regard.
#6 Paulino Alcantara
Paulino Alcantara is only bested by Leo Messi in the goal-scoring department, with the Spaniard scoring a total of 369 goals during his Barcelona career. He comes in at 6th on this list because only 142 of those were recorded in an official capacity.
Having made his debut at the tender age of 15, Alcantara remains the youngest player to play and score for the Spanish outfit. He was also the first Asian player to wear their shirt. The former forward began his Barcelona career in 1912, but his parents would move to the Philippines in 1916 and take him along.
He returned in 1918, and carried on a further nine years. During his time at the club, Alcantara won the Catalan Football Championship 10 times. And upon his retirement at the age of 31, he became a doctor.
He passed away in 1964 aged 67, but will always be remembered as one of Barcelona’s most deadly strikers.
Legendary Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman once referred to him as “A ruthless striker, with gunpowder in his feet.” adding “He does things with the ball we haven’t seen over here.”
#7 Angel Arocha
Coming to the fore at a time when many would have found it quite challenging, Angel Arocha was able to etch his name in Barcelona folklore with relative ease.
The Spaniard was charged with the daunting task of slotting in for Paulino Alcantara, who was about to retire, and he repaid his employers’ trust with 215 goals (134 official) in the space of just six years.
He would help the team to the La Liga title in 1929, as well as the Copa del Rey the year prior. After leaving Barcelona, he would join Atletico Madrid, spending two seasons there before his retirement.
#8 Samuel Eto’o
The Cameroonian striker was a real menace in his day, and could have been a Madrid legend, had Los Blancos realised how big of a talent they had on their hands before letting him leave for Mallorca.
Well, Barcelona snatched him up after that, and the rest is history. The forward went on to score 130 times for them during a five-year span, winning three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies.
He was sold to Inter Milan as part of an exchange for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but it would be Inter who would enjoy more success, as Eto’o helped the Italian club to the treble in his very first season.
#9 Rivaldo
A World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, Rivaldo remains a legend of the game. His most notable performances at club level came as a Barcelona player, and he would score 130 goals for the club between 1997 and 2002.
Rivaldo’s partnership up front with Patrick Kluivert bore great fruit, and helped the Catalan club to two La Liga titles, a Copa del Rey title and the UEFA Super Cup.
He was known for his effectiveness on the dead ball, as well as his ability to dribble around defenders and create chances. The former attacking midfielder is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation, and one of the best players to ever come from Brazil.
#10 Mariano Martin
A two-time La Liga champion with Barcelona, Spanish striker Mariano Martin will be remembered as one of their most prolific players ever.
Martin scored 123 goals for the club, but it only took him 150 appearances to do so. He scored 188 goals in total, in a Barcelona career spanning from 1940 to 1948, and was the team’s top scorer in the 1940-41 and 1943-44 seasons. He also became the first Barcelona player to lead the league in scoring, notching 32 goals in the 1941-42 seasons.
The Spaniard suffered a terrible knee injury in 1944, and although he did recover, he just wasn’t the same player after the setback. He only made 29 appearances in his last three seasons, but still managed 14 goals during that time.
