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#3 César Rodríguez
The only Spanish footballer of the pre-Cruyff era to feature on the list, César Rodríguez's time at Barcelona often goes under the radar. The fact that César remained the Catalan club's all-time top scorer for more than 50 years until a certain Lionel Messi retained every single record for himself, speaks monumentally of the Spaniard's impact at Les Corts (the predecessor to Camp Nou).
During his 14 years of service, the mercurial forward managed to score 232 official goals for the Spanish giants. Initially signed up in 1939, César had to relocate to Granada due to military service. After returning to Barcelona, two years after this loan spell, the Catalan became the guiding force behind his boyhood club's success. Alongside all-time Barca greats such as Eduardo Manchon and the enigmatic Laszlo Kubala, César ushered his side to a five-trophy streak in the 1951-52 season.
He finally left Barcelona for good in 1955, accumulating a total of 13 titles along the way. After brief stints at Cultural Leonesa, Perpignan, and Elche, César hung up his boots, aged 40, leaving behind his legacy as one of the best players in the Spanish side's history.
#2 Andres Iniesta
Andres Iniesta is a living testament to the fact that prevalent statistics do not make a football player. Having only scored 57 goals throughout his Barcelona career despite playing in a much more advanced role, the Spanish legend's abilities and impact on the game far transcends these feeble numbers.
After graduating from La Masia in 2002, Iniesta embarked on a 16-year journey with the club he joined aged just 12. His inventiveness and work ethic, in addition to his obvious technical abilities, distinguish the 131-capped Spanish international from the rest of the bunch. Iniesta famously finished second in the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or rankings, rounding off an all-La Masia top 3 with Lionel Messi on top and Xavi in third.
Following Xavi's departure in 2015, Iniesta inherited the captain's armband from his best friend, captaining Barcelona for a further three years. Despite signing a lifetime contract with the Spanish giants, Iniesta left the club for Japanese side Vissel Kobe in 2018, where he is still putting in some dazzling performances at the age of 37.
#1 Xavi
Iniesta's partner in crime, Xavier Hernandez or Xavi, finishes in the top spot with close margins. Not a single soul would argue if anyone were to switch Xavi's position on this list with Iniesta. However, the current Al Sadd manager's status as one of the best midfielders ever to lace a pair of boots, renders any dispute invalid.
Another member of the one-club legends' society, Xavi spent 24 years with the club, with 17 of them contracted to the senior side. The Spanish veteran was an essential factor behind Barcelona's continental as well as domestic supremacy in the early 2010s, establishing a formidable midfield trio with the aforementioned Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.
The deep-lying playmaker was responsible for orchestrating some of the most beautiful build-up plays the sport has ever seen. Finding and exploiting spaces to make things easier for his teammates, Xavi succeeded Puyol as the captain of Barcelona for a solitary season. Not just one of the best Spanish players to don the famous Blaugrana jersey, Xavi's illustrious and trophy-laden career easily qualifies him as an all-time great of the beautiful game.
Also read: Top 5 attackers in La Liga (August 2021)
