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FC Barcelona are two of the most successful clubs in Spain. The Catalan giants have won every major trophy in club football and are the only side in Europe to win two trebles.
As expected, this remarkable football club have had some of the biggest icons setting the course for them. These leaders were not particularly brash or aggressive, they simply tried to become the best versions of themselves in Catalan colors.
Today, we will take a look at five such men who led the club with sincerity and passion; five players who stood for all-things-Barcelona.
Here are the five greatest captains in Barcelona history:
#5 Lionel Messi
Barcelona legend Lionel Messi picked up the captain’s armband after the departure of fellow La Masia graduate Andres Iniesta. Ahead of the 2018-19 season, Messi had the honor of wearing the armband and he did his best to make his club proud.
Messi, who scored 672 goals and provided 301 assists for Barcelona, was not necessarily known for his leadership skills. However, when push came to shove, Messi was always in the thick of things. The Argentine international was hardly the most vocal captain for Barcelona but he always led by example.
His performances in the Champions League drew criticism, but those were more of a collective failure than individual blunders. Messi’s departure in the summer of 2021 has left a gaping hole in Barcelona’s attack and the club are far from finding a suitable deputy.
#4 Andres Iniesta
Breaking through Barcelona’s La Masia academy, Andres Iniesta made his first-team debut in 2002. The centre-midfielder was at the heart of Barcelona’s famous Tiki-Taka system, pulling strings and piercing defenses from the middle of the park.
With Carles Puyol and Xavi still in the team, Iniesta did not get the opportunity to become the club’s captain until the 2014-15 season. As vice-captain, Iniesta regularly led Barcelona in the absence of Xavi and eventually got the armband all to himself at the end of 2014-15.
Iniesta was not one for aggression, but his command on the pitch was second to none. He dominated the pitch with grace and knew just how to make his side tick.
Iniesta’s reign as captain was short, but the club won pretty much everything there was to win during his spell. After winning 30 trophies with the Camp Nou outfit, Iniesta moved to Japanese J-League side Vissel Kobe in May 2018.
#3 Pep Guardiola
A legendary manager, a classy midfielder, and an iconic captain - Pep Guardiola ticked all the boxes during his 17-season spell at Barcelona. Guardiola also came up through the La Masia system and prioritized finesse over form. It was not only about winning for him, he also needed to win the “right way".
Guardiola was first made captain in 1997 under Louis van Gaal. He imposed his authority rather effortlessly and knew how to pick up his teammates after a disappointing result.
During his four-season spell as captain, Barcelona won two La Ligas and a Copa del Rey. Guardiola was undoubtedly more successful as a player than as captain, but his on-field leadership inspired generations of La Masia graduates.
#2 Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff did not exactly have the longest of spells as Barcelona captain, but the impact he made was nothing short of remarkable. Cruyff joined Barcelona from Ajax in 1973 and got to work right away.
He was Barcelona’s knight in shining armor, leading the charge against their bitterest rivals Real Madrid. The three-time Ballon d’Or winner led Barcelona to La Liga in his debut season itself, cementing his name in history.
The next season, he was blessed with the responsibility of donning the captain’s armband. Cryuff added a twist to the story as well, becoming the first captain to wear a red-and-yellow armband instead of white, representing Catalonia’s identity.
#1 Carles Puyol
Barcelona centre-back Carles Puyol is widely hailed as one of the most iconic personalities in the history of Spanish football. Fortunately for Barcelona, the steamroller of a defender chose to defend their crest with all his might.
Puyol is the best captain Barcelona have ever had and by a country mile.
Puyol joined Barcelona’s La Masia academy in 1995. Puyol played as a defensive midfielder at the time, and it took him four more years to find his calling, to play as a central-defender.
After the retirement of Luis Enrique in 2004, Puyol was given the captain’s armband. He picked up the mantle with great honor and served diligently for the next ten seasons.
Puyol was aggressive yet composed. He was a wrecking ball at times but also clinical when the situation needed him to be. Puyol served the club for 15 years, 10 of them with the armband on. He won 21 trophies in those 15 seasons, going down in history as one of the club’s greatest ever players.
