Best Barcelona players of all time

Besides being one of the most loved teams in the world, FC Barcelona are also one of the most successful clubs in the world. From producing some of the world’s best players at their iconic La Masia academy to playing very attractive football, Barcelona have done it all. However the club have been aided in their success by some truly iconic players.Who are they? You’ll find out in this list of the best Barcelona players.

#1 Johan Cruyff

Did you really expect anybody else to lead this list? During his 5 years at the club, Cruyff was the heart of Barcelona, whom he joined from Ajax for a world record fee of $2 million back in 1973. With Cruyff leading the Barcelona attack, the Catalan club were extremely difficult, if not impossible to beat and were one of the most feared teams in Europe.

Cruyff helped Barca lift their first La Liga since 1960 after defeating Real Madrid 5-0 in their own backyard and also lifted the Copa del Rey in his final season. Cruyff returned to manage Barcelona in 1988 and changed the way football was played once again, along with winning a plethora of titles before stepping down.

The Barcelona faithful will be forever indebted to this great man as he was the brains behind their famous academy – La Masia.

#2 Cesar Rodriguez

The legendary Spaniard is still considered as one of the greatest Barcelona players. Rodriguez was renowned for his striking skills and ability to score from corners and formed a fruitful partnership with fellow legend Laszlo Kubala which helped Barcelona win 5 La Ligas, 2 Copa del Reys and 2 Latin Cups among other trophies.

The Spaniard was also FC Barcelona’s top scorer for years until Lionel Messi broke his record.

#3 Xavi

Undoubtedly one of the greatest playmakers of his generation, Xavi will leave a huge void in Barcelona when he decides to step down. According to stats, Xavi has made more than 180 assists to over 50 players in his over 700 games for the club. But statistics aside the Spaniard’s passing skills are almost superhuman and it is safe to say that Barcelona’s now famous tiki-taka style would not have gone so smoothly if it wasn’t for him and his midfield partner Andres Iniesta.

With Xavi dictating play, Barcelona have won 7 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Reys, 6 Spanish Super Cups, 3 UEFA Champions Leagues and 2 Club World Cups. Xavi was due to leave Barcelona this season but went back on his decision later so you can expect to see more brilliance from the midfield magician this year.

#4 Michael Laudrup

Long before Xavi or Iniesta emerged on the scene, Barcelona’s midfield was being powered by the great Michael Laudrup. The Dane was simply brilliant for the Catalans but is rarely given his proper due, not that it takes away what he’s done for the club.

He was part of Johan Cruyff’s dream team and lit up the La Liga with his blistering pace and sublime passing skills. Laudrup helped Barcelona win 4 La Ligas, 1 European Cup and 1 Super Cup among other trophies before departing for Barcelona’s arch rivals Real Madrid.

Barcelona great Lionel Messi has even acknowledged Laudrup’s genius by saying "I fully understand why he is considered one of the best players in Barcelona's history and even the world."

#5 Pep Guardiola

One of the finest holding midfielders of his generation, Guardiola revolutionised Barcelona as both player and manager. Another member of Cruyff’s dream team, Guardiola gained fame for his passing skills and ability to dictate play from the centre of the park. He helped Barcelona win 6 La Ligas, 2 Copa del Reys, 1 European Cup before moving to Roma.

The Spaniard was appointed as Barcelona’s head coach in 2008 and won loads of trophies making him one of the most successful managers in football history.

#6 Carles Puyol

One of Barcelona’s favourite sons, Puyol was the rock of the club in his decade long spell as captain. Despite being shorter than the average centre back, Puyol was known for his command of the penalty area, extraordinary leadership skills and brilliant heading abilities.

With Puyol at the heart of defence Barcelona won 6 La Liga titles, 3 Champions Leagues, 2 Club World Cups along with loads of other silverware. The defender called time on his glittering career this summer but his love story with Barcelona hasn’t ended and he is now assistant to the Catalan club’s director of football Andoni Zubizaretta.

#7 Ronaldinho

Football’s true showman was simply phenomenal at Barcelona. Besides his superb goal scoring abilities, Ronaldinho also lit up the pitch with his fabulous trickery.

The Brazilian helped Barcelona win 2 La Ligas, 1 Champions League and 2 Spanish Super Cups along with winning a host of personal awards including the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player Of The Year during his time at the Blaugrana which cemented his status as one of the best players to ever kick a football. A lot of players have performed brilliantly for Barcelona since Ronaldinho’s departure but none can truly replace him.

#8 Laszlo Kubala

Long before strikers such as Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry arrived at Barcelona, a Hungarian by the name of Laszlo Kubala led the charge for the Catalans. To call Kubala a phenomenon would be an understatement. The Hungarian scored 194 goals during his time at the club including 14 hat-tricks which helped establish him as one of the greatest players to ever play for the club. Kubala helped Barcelona win 4 La Ligas, 5 Copa del Reys and 1 Latin Cup among other trophies.

There weren’t any personal awards given out during Kubala’s time at the club but the Hungarian would have surely racked up his fair share of personal allocates. The striker is immortalized in stone outside the ground of Barcelona’s home stadium – Camp Nou.

#9 Lionel Messi

Barcelona thought that Diego Maradona was the greatest Argentine that ever played for them. That was until Lionel Messi came along. It may come as a shock to see him ranked so low in this list but it mustn’t be forgotten that he is only 27 and still has a lot of good years left in him which will surely propel him higher.

The little magician has scored an impossible 357 goals for Barcelona and has helped the club win 6 La Ligas, 3 Champions League titles, 6 Spanish Super Cups along with loads of other trophies. The 27-year-old has also won four Ballon d’Or trophies highlighting his greatness as a player.

#10 Ronald Koeman

The Dutchman who was a member of Johan Cruyff’s legendary ‘Dream Team’ will be remembered by Barcelona fans forever for his phenomenal free kick against Real Madrid which helped the Camp Nou outfit inflict a humiliating 5-0 drubbing to their arch rivals in their own backyard. A free kick and penalty specialist, Koeman is easily one of the highest scoring defenders in the game. With him at the heart of defence Barcelona won 4 La Ligas, 1 European Cup, 3 Spanish Super Cups among a host of other accolades.