Ranking Barcelona's 5 best left-footed players in the 21st century

#3 Antoine Griezmann (2019 - Present)

FC Barcelona v Getafe CF - LaLiga Santander

When Antoine Griezmann joined Barcelona from Atletico Madrid in a mega-money deal in 2019, everyone expected him to form a formidable partnership with Lionel Messi. He performed admirably in a couple of games, but never got around to making the impact everyone expected.

The left-footed Frenchman showed glimpses of his ruthless yet creative self in some matches, but Barcelona could not afford to keep him on their payroll. In the summer of 2021, Griezmann moved back to Atletico Madrid on loan and has been performing admirably since.

He could return to Barcelona after a season, but Atletico are likely to extend his loan spell and trigger his buyout clause before that happens.

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#2 Jordi Alba (2012 - Present)

FC Barcelona v Getafe CF - LaLiga Santander

Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba has only grown in stature since joining the Camp Nou outfit from Valencia in 2012. The Barcelona youth academy player took some time to find his way back to his parent club, but he has not looked back since.

In his debut season itself, the left-back made 44 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals.

Alba is known for his quick feet, in-swinging crosses, and acceleration. The Spanish left-back also formed a telepathic connection with Lionel Messi, which allowed Barcelona to rack up a number of goals over the years.

Alba currently serves as one of the club’s four captains and is among the first names on the team sheet.

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#1 Lionel Messi (2005 - 2021)

FC Barcelona v RC Celta - La Liga Santander

To no one’s surprise, Barcelona and La Liga’s top-scorer Lionel Messi has occupied the top spot on our humble list. The Argentine international spent over two decades at Barcelona, realizing his dream of becoming one of the best players the game has ever seen.

Like his idol, Diego Maradona, Messi is also a left-footed player, although he has scored a fair amount of goals with his right as well. He has a natural tendency to drift towards the right side of the pitch when given a free role.

This allows him to cut in from wide areas and ripple the netting with impeccable curling efforts. He also regularly uses his left foot to pick out his teammates with unmatched efficiency.

Messi, who left for PSG in the summer of 2021, currently holds the record for most appearances for FC Barcelona. In 778 games across all competitions, he scored 672 goals and provided 288 assists.

Over the course of his Barcelona career, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner won 10 La Ligas and four Champions League titles amongst other major honors.