Top 10 Best FC Barcelona Players of All Time
When you think of footballing royalty, FC Barcelona is a name that instantly springs to mind. This Catalan club has a rich history, stretching back over a century, and has been home to some of the most talented players the sport has ever seen. From the early days of Kubala and Suárez to the modern era of Messi and Xavi, Barcelona's legacy is intertwined with the brilliance of its players.Who do you think deserves to be at the very top of this list? Was it Messi, with his otherworldly skills and record-breaking goal tally? Or perhaps Xavi, the midfield maestro who orchestrated countless victories? Maybe you're a fan of the old school and believe Kubala or Cruyff should take the crown.
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi was born on June 24, 1987. He is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for the American club, Inter Miami CF, in the MLS. Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. His birthplace is Rosario, Argentina. The best player is the one who learns the most effective skills from other brilliant players and makes them his own, applying them in every match and consistently producing out-of-this-world results.
That player is none other than Messi.
That's the simplest reason why Ronnie and the rest can't be the best, for those of you out there wondering why.
Also, his attitude (Messi) is unbeatable. Your attitude determines your performance. He's got the best attitude of a sportsperson the world has ever seen. Sure, he has had his rare behavioral dips in his career, but for the major portion, his behavior is certainly one of the best. No surprise then he's better than the rest. Behavior equals quality of performance. And that applies to every area of life, by the way.
Diego Armando Maradona (October 30, 1960 - November 25, 2020) was an Argentine professional footballer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award. Maradona was given the nickname "El Pibe... read more He and Messi, I would say, are equal, but Maradona won a World Cup, and who can argue with that? Plus, if you watch the film The Greatest Goals, he beats the whole international team of England. Could Messi do that without his playmaker Xavi or his assister Iniesta? I don't think so! But even though I voted for Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi is a team player, while Maradona is more self-centered.
Players of this era are favored in everything, starting from the boots, balls, etc. These days balls are light, boots are also light, hence enabling players to play better. Gone are the days of Maradona where everything was too heavy. So I say Maradona is number 1 because he was able to perform very well regardless of those conditions.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian former professional footballer and current ambassador for Barcelona. He played mostly as an attacking midfielder, but was also deployed as a winger. Often considered one of the best... read more Sure, Messi may be the best in the world, but don't forget what he did for Barca. He has given Barca many titles, he has made no-look goals, fast plays, he has made Barca go down in history as one of the best teams ever. In fact, no one knew who Lionel Messi was back 11 years ago in 2005, Ronaldinho, Xavi, and Samuel Eto'o were out there scoring goals while Messi was on the bench.
Messi didn't even score his first goal all by himself! Ronaldinho assisted him. Why do you think Messi is better? Ronaldinho may be trash now, but Ronaldinho was a LEGEND. Goodbye Ronaldinho, we'll remember you in our hearts.
Xavier "Xavi" Hernández Creus is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Qatari club Al Sadd SC. How is Henry better than Xavi? Xavi isn't as flashy as the top six but consistently the best midfielder the club has ever had.
With the most number of appearances, Xavi deserves to be number 1. This list isn't about the best players. It's about the best players of Barcelona.
Xavi is one of the best assist men the world has ever seen! Most goals are born with Xavi's pass. Midfield maestro!
Hendrik Johannes "Johan" Cruijff (25 April 1947 – 24 March 2016) was a Dutch professional football player and coach. As a player, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973, and 1974. Cruyff was a proponent of the football philosophy known as Total Football explored by Rinus Michels, and is... read more If the criteria are the amount of contribution to Barca, then maybe there are players who made more than Cruyff. But if the criteria are overall career?! You are talking about the greats of Barca players but Cruyff is beyond that, he is the second best ever after Pelé. Cruyff was Messi + Xavi + Iniesta + Busquets, and we can even add DM10 and maybe Ronaldinho as well. He did all the work they did.
He was so amazing. He was as good a dribbler as Messi and Maradona, they are slightly better than him. His vision? The second best after Pelé, in Barcelona, he is above all, in the world he is above all except Pelé. His passing, pass distribution was better than that of Xavi. He was versatile and could play in any position like Pelé and Di Stefano.
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spain national team. Andres Iniesta is one of the best players ever in the world. He is a nice player and is one of the top 3 players of Barcelona. He deserves to be in the top 5.
Most underrated player ever. One of the best in the world. It's not right that he or Xavi haven't won a Ballon d'Or. Connects the play. The best midfielder ever.
Andres Iniesta is one of the five best players ever.
Incredible captain. He did all the things that a captain should do. He's definitely the best captain, I know.
He was The One.
Funny how true Barcelona fans have no clue who he was. He was the reason Barcelona built the Nou Camp. The one who curved the ball in a way none did before. The one who shot from direct free kicks. He was the first player EVER to score seven goals in a La Liga game. With 280 goals in 345 games, he is still in the top 3 of all-time Barcelona scorers.
The player of the century in Barcelona. Every true Barcelona fan knows him and thanks him for what Barcelona is now. Legend.
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, born 5 February 1992, commonly known as Neymar or Neymar Jr., is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and the Brazil national team as a forward or winger, and is also the captain of the national team... read more Neymar is the best soccer player in the world and will get to be better and better, soon even better than Cristiano Ronaldo. I think so, and the world will too, when Neymar gets the best player award and player of the year. You will all regret the bad things you said about him and how you doubted him.
Good luck Neymar, don't make me regret these words!
The star of the future. I was not a Neymar fan a couple of years ago - I thought he was overrated. Clearly, he is not, and with Suarez and Messi, he is part of the greatest forward three of all time.
He hasn't been at Barca long enough to be this high, but if he stays at Barca, which he definitely should, he will move up to the top 5.
Romário de Souza Faria, known simply as Romário, is a Brazilian politician, who previously achieved worldwide fame as a footballer. A great all-around player with an eye for the goal, very hard for any team's back four to mark him, could turn you on a sixpence. Just ask any Manchester United fan.
The best ever. If he could play more seasons with Barca, he could be the best record holder for the team.
The Newcomers
Gerard Piqué Bernabéu is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for FC Barcelona and the Spain national team. Is he a wall or a human being? It's hard to tell due to his defending.
Pure talent. Amazing world-class skills, inborn.
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Turkish club Antalyaspor. Eto'o is one of the greatest players to have ever adorned the colors of Barca. Even though he was ridiculed out of the club by exchanging him for Ibrahimovic as well as a huge amount of money, he still proved his worth by helping Inter lift the Champions League. He is indeed a great player of all time.
He was a natural striker in the purest form. He was lightning-fast, good with one-touch-shoot capabilities, brilliant runs, and an incredibly hardworking player. He had excellent acceleration within the first 5 or 10 yards. Oh, a wonderful player.
Zlatan Ibrahimović (3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays for an Italian club AC Milan and the Sweden national team for which he is captain. He shouldn't be playing for PSG now, stupid Pep.
An absolute boss but not the best, just a boss. The Chuck Norris of soccer.
Just before footballers turned into super-mega-stars worth billions, with their own clothing brands and sponsored by every possible mainstream retailing company around the world, and before hype and headlines turned mediocre players into celebrities, there were players who only played football and whose legacy only relied on their skill and talent. The best of these were Laudrup, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Maradona, Pelé, etc.
Today's players are undoubtedly great and very skillful indeed. But take away EA Sports, YouTube, Nike finance, smartphone companies, etc., and I doubt any of them except Messi, Ronaldinho, Xavi, and Iniesta (essentially a Laudrup), would be remembered any better. And remember too: Most people voting here are under 30... Just saying.
But all that said: Laudrup.
Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, commonly known as Ronaldo, is a Brazilian business owner, president of La Liga club Real Valladolid, and a retired professional footballer who played as a striker. Popularly dubbed in Portuguese O Fenômeno ("The Phenomenon"), he is widely considered one of the greatest... read more Ronaldo, The Phenomenon - how I wish this man had been safe from injuries that almost ruined his career. In fact, injuries cut his career short. He could literally play the ball with any part of his body. He was phenomenal, just simply a marvel to watch.
Nothing was impossible for him. He deserves to be number 4 in the World Soccer Hall of Fame, but I believe he is better than Zizou. Pelé and Maradona are also the best, but they played in an era when defenders were not taken as seriously as they are now, and in an era when defenders' technical ability wasn't that good. But Ronaldo De Lima could beat any defender on any day with skill, pace, and had such a high-level technical ability, beating the goalkeepers. He's the best, and no. 1 ever.
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz, born on January 24, 1987, is an Uruguayan professional footballer. He plays as a striker for the American club, Inter Miami CF, and the Uruguay national team. Suarez's position on this list depends on how long he stays at Barca. If he sticks around for 5+ years, he will be top 5. Neymar should be higher now because he is younger and can reasonably be expected to stay longer, but Suarez is the number 2 player in the world now.
He is so good at football. He's just amazing with those skills and the power in his shots. It's like if the keeper was close to Suarez and saved a powerful shot, he'd probably break a finger. Luis Suarez!
Luis Suarez is the brightest of his generation. You think Ronaldo is better than him? Check out his goal against Norwich in the Premier League.
Hristo Stoichkov is a retired Bulgarian footballer who is currently a football commentator for Univision Deportes. An extremely aggressive player, though it cannot be thought of as a disadvantage. His passion, confidence, and tenacity made him what he is remembered as today - one of the most effective Barcelona strikers ever.
One of the best strikers that Barcelona has ever had. He was one of the leaders in Barca's Dream Team during the 90s. Also, he was one of the few players to win the European Cup (1992), the Golden Shoe (1990), and the Ballon d'Or (1995).
Thank you for making me proud to be Bulgarian! Bulgaria loves you and you will never be forgotten!
He looks the same as my cousin. And is an awesome player. I guess.
He's one of the best Mexican players out there. He's quick with great skill.
Sergio Busquets Burgos (born July 16, 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for La Liga club Barcelona, where he is the club captain. Deserves at least top 15. At least.
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional football coach and former player. He is the second assistant coach of the Belgium national team. One of the most brilliant footballers I have ever seen. Even though he had his best years at Arsenal, in Barca, he was a perfect player. Since he left the club, there has been an empty place in left forward.
I wish he never played for Arsenal because he was amazing at Barca.
They say he could punch a hole in the net with his shot. Proud to be a Filipino, especially when we both came from the same city in the Philippines!
Greatest FC Barcelona player of all time. 357 goals in 357 games. A club record I believe that has not been broken to this day.
The greatest FC player of all time. All-time goal leader at 357. He is a Filipino doctor.
Yes, he is well celebrated in the world, but not quite to the level he should be. This man was never fully recognized in football, in my opinion. He was underrated by football. What an educated left foot, thinking of his combination with Ronaldo, they had such an understanding and were a great pair to watch.
Rivaldo could pick and pass to Ronaldo anywhere on the field. He knew where he would be all the time. Indeed, he deserves to be in the top 10 of Barca's all time. Sandiso Nkwinti, SA!
Rivaldo, one of the best players ever. Power, geniality, lethal left foot, and magic. Does Messi do these? A very, very underrated player ever, Rivaldo!
No one remembers this guy! Shame, though. He was one of my favorite players of all times. He alone brought Barca that Champions League Trophy in 2007. Even the great Henry bowed to him after that match.
Larsson knew that he was going to be a bench-warmer in Barca, so he became the best one ever.
David Villa Sánchez is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a striker and also serves as captain for New York City FC in Major League Soccer. He is an amazing player. Most of his matches are very, very good, but he needs to play like a legend.
He needs to play like he did during Spain's World Cup-winning era. In this La Liga match, he needs to be the best scorer and top scorer. Best of luck, Villa!
Your biggest fan from Nepal.
His dedication to his national team is unmatched! He is undoubtedly one of the top Barcelona strikers.
David Villa is a very good player. He is my favorite soccer player ever.