Highlights

  • Barcelona, as one of the greatest clubs in football history, boast an incredible alumni of former players, including Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta.
  • Messi is the greatest Barcelona player ever, with almost 1000 goal contributions in 778 appearances.
  • Other legendary players, such as Ronaldo Nazario and Diego Maradona, also played for Barcelona, but their short stints at the club mean that they rank behind other talented players.

There are few clubs on earth that can boast a similar level of quality alumni as Barcelona can. The Spanish club, throughout its 125-year history, has seen some of the best players of all time don their famous blue and red shirts. They've been one of the best clubs in the game for large portions of their history too, and it's easy to see why when you look at the sheer talent they've had on the books over time.

Some of the very best players to ever kick a football have played for the Blaugrana over the years, so narrowing down their greatest players is a tough task, but one that has to be done. GIVEMESPORT have decided to come up with a list of the best 15 Barcelona players ever, and to do so, we've taken a very specific set of criteria into account, which are as follows:

  • Impact
  • Longevity
  • Statistics
  • Trophies

15 Greatest Barcelona players ever

Rank

Player

Barcelona Appearances

Time at club

1.

Lionel Messi

778

2000-2021

2.

Xavi

767

1991-2015

3.

Andres Iniesta

674

1996-2018

4.

Johan Cruyff

180

1973-1978

5.

Ronaldinho

207

2003-2008

6.

Samuel Eto'o

199

2004-2009

7.

Ronaldo Nazario

49

1996-1997

8.

Ronald Koeman

264

1989-1995

9.

Michael Laudrup

226

1989-1994

10.

Cesar Rodriguez

344

1939-1955

11.

Sergio Busquets

722

2005-2023

12.

Carles Puyol

593

1995-2014

13.

Diego Maradona

58

1982-1984

14.

Gerard Pique

616

2008-2023

15.

Luis Suarez

283

2014-2020

15 Luis Suarez

2014-2020

Luis Suarez celebrates a goal for Barcelona

Coming in at 15th, only narrowly making it onto this list, is Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan first burst onto the scene at Ajax, but it was with Liverpool that he became a star. He took the world by storm through his incredible performances in the Premier League, so it was no surprise when Barcelona spent big to lure him to Camp Nou in 2014.

Alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar, he formed one of the deadliest trios of all time, and he is one of Barcelona's best signings of the 21st century. The club have had several massive misses in the transfer market recently, but that wasn't the case with Suarez. He played 283 times for the Catalan Giants, scoring just under 200 times in the process. He won plenty of silverware, including a handful of league titles and even a Champions League trophy for his troubles, and departed a legend in 2020.

Luis Suarez's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

283

Goals

195

Assists

113

Trophies

13

14 Gerard Pique

2008-2023

Gerard Piqué

After struggling to break through at Manchester United, Gerard Pique joined Barcelona in 2008, and over the course of the next 15 years, became a club icon. The centre-back, alongside Carles Puyol (more on him later), formed one of the most impressive centre-back partnerships of the 21st century.

Together, they were pivotal to the success that the Catalan Giants experienced through the late 2000s and early 2010s. Pique was consistently dependable for the club and rarely put a foot wrong during his tenure at Camp Nou. Retiring in 2023, he did so having played over 600 times for the club.

Gerard Pique's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

616

Goals

53

Assists

13

Trophies

30

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13 Diego Maradona

1982-1984

Diego Maradona

It might seem pretty blasphemous to have Diego Maradona this low down on the list. After all, he's one of the greatest footballers of all time. The issue is, he just wasn't at Barcelona long enough to really merit ranking above some of the club's biggest legends. The Argentine was a mesmerising talent, capable of beating just about anyone with the ball at his feet, and he did so everywhere he went.

Maradona spent two years with Barcelona and played 58 times for the club in that time. He had a decent return as well, scoring close to 40 goals for the club, but his period with the team saw them fail to win any significant silverware and, considering how big a legacy he went on to build at Napoli, he just didn't do enough at Barcelona to crack the top 10.

Diego Maradona's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

58

Goals

38

Assists

23

Trophies

3

12 Carles Puyol

1995-2014

Carles Puyol

During his career, there were few defenders on the planet on the same level as Carles Puyol. He was a natural leader, and a defensive enforcer at the back for well over a decade. The Spaniard was ever-reliable, and his mere presence on the pitch made a massive difference to the La Liga side's fortunes.

Puyol formed a superb partnership with Pique, and the two were a nightmare for opposition strikers. Despite his modest stature, measuring 5 ft 10 in, the Spaniard was a phenom in the air, and had no problem going up against players significantly taller than him and coming out on top. They don't make them like this guy anymore.

Carles Puyol's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

593

Goals

19

Assists

13

Trophies

18

11 Sergio Busquets

2005-2023

Sergio Busquets applauding

If he spent 18 years at almost any other club, Sergio Busquets would be considered their greatest-ever midfielder. He's just unfortunate to have shared the pitch with some all-time greats during his time at Camp Nou. Make no mistake, though, the Spaniard was still an incredible talent at Barcelona throughout his tenure.

Busquets transcended the role of a deep-lying playmaker, focusing on his incredible vision and intellect when reading play, rather than the physical nature that had often been depended on in the position previously. He had a knack for picking out the perfect pass almost every time. Couple that with his strong defensive prowess, and his knack for picking up loose balls and intercepting opposition passes regularly, he was a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the park.

Busquets was so good at Barcelona that Lionel Messi clearly enjoyed teaming with him, and has even recruited him to reunite at Inter Miami in the United States this year, despite the fact he's now 35 years old.

Sergio Busquets' Barcelona statistics

Appearances

722

Goals

18

Assists

46

Trophies

32

10 Cesar Rodriguez

1939-1955

MixCollage-11-Mar-2024-03-28-PM-4302

Cesar Rodriguez isn't a name that too many current football fans will be familiar with, but he's someone who forged a very impressive legacy at Barcelona in the 20th century. Playing close to 300 games for the Spaniards, he scored 226 goals along the way and was one of the first real explosive goalscorers in their history.

Over the course of 16 years, he won 13 trophies and only had one campaign where he scored less than 12 goals. It's a remarkable return and Rodriguez more than earned a spot among the best Barcelona players of all time, even if his impact has been largely forgotten as years passed.

Cesar Rodriguez's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

344

Goals

226

Assists

2

Trophies

13

9 Michael Laudrup

1989-1994

Michael Laudrup celebrating for Barcelona

While his stay in Spain was fairly short, there's no denying the immense impact that Michael Laudrup had at Barcelona. The former midfielder spent five years at Camp Nou, and his decision to move to Real Madrid in 1994 likely didn't leave too many fans fond of him, but he was a fantastic player for the club.

His electric speed on the ball, his undeniably great passing ability and his high-level dribbling meant he was always capable of producing magic whenever he stepped on a football pitch. Across five years at Barcelona, he played 226 times and chipped in with plenty of goals and assists throughout that time. Sure, he did the unthinkable and joined Madrid, but that shouldn't take away from how great he was at the Camp Nou.

Michael Laudrup's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

226

Goals

54

Assists

19

Trophies

9

8 Ronald Koeman

1989-1995

Koeman

Joining in the same year as Laudrup was another unbelievable talent in Ronald Koeman. Sure, his time as Barcelona manager might not have been all too successful, but his tenure playing for the Catalan giants was nothing short of superb. The Dutchman is regarded as one of the greatest goalscoring defenders of all time.

3:33
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With 88 goals in 264 appearances, it's easy to see why as well. Those sorts of numbers would be impressive for a forward, let alone a centre-back. His freekicks were a thing of legend, and Koeman was always one of the first names on the teamsheet during his six years in Spain.

Diego Maradona's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

264

Goals

88

Assists

11

Trophies

10

7 Ronaldo Nazario

1996-1997

Ronaldo Nazario celebrating for Barcelona

It takes something special to earn a spot as one of a club's greatest-ever players when you've only spent one year with them, but that's exactly what Ronaldo Nazario was. Something special. The Brazilian forward arrived in Spain in 1996 and left for Inter Milan 12 months later, before becoming a legend at Real Madrid, but what a year it was.

In just 49 appearances, he scored 47 times for Barcelona and chalked up 13 assists, an absolutely breathtaking return. It was just one season, but Ronaldo had an incredible impact at Camp Nou, and it's wild to imagine how different the landscape of football would have been had he stayed at the club for a little longer.

Ronaldo Nazario's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

49

Goals

47

Assists

13

Trophies

3

6 Samuel Eto'o

2004-2009

Samuel Eto'o celebrates

Another world-class striker now, Samuel Eto'o saw success almost everywhere he went, but it was his time at Barcelona where he peaked. The former Cameroon international flourished as a pivotal figure in a very impressive team that won three La Liga titles in his five years. He also won two Champions League trophies during his brief spell at Camp Nou, a testament to how strong the team was.

He was a key part of that, though, scoring 130 goals in almost 200 appearances. He was explosive, and no defender could handle him during his prime. He wasn't just fast, but he was strong too, and his ability to finish with both feet made him very effective and there are few strikers around now that compare. There's a reason he's considered one of the greatest African footballers of all time.

Samuel Eto'o's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

199

Goals

130

Assists

40

Trophies

8

5 Ronaldinho

2003-2008

Ronaldinho celebrates

For anyone watching football in the 2000s, there was no one more impressive than Ronaldinho. The Brazilian trickster was easily the most entertaining player to observe. The manner in which he would beat defenders with a wide array of skills was quite the sight to behold. He was the best player in the world for a period during the 2000s, and his time at Barcelona was where he really solidified his spot as an all-time talent.

In 207 appearances, he had over 150 goal contributions and was a major reason for the success that Barcelona experienced during the 2000s. His career might not have the legs that a lot of the other names on this list did, but when he was at his best, he was unstoppable.

Ronaldinho's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

207

Goals

94

Assists

70

Trophies

5

4 Johan Cruyff

1973-1978

Johan Cruyff

So good, they named a football move after him. Johan Cruyff was an icon all over the world during his career. His flair on the ball and how he was constantly coming up with innovative ways to beat defenders was something that hadn't been seen before. Sure, his peak was during his time at Ajax, and he wasn't quite as good at Barcelona, but he was still very impressive during his five years in Spain.

He played 180 times for the club and scored 60 goals. He's more fondly remembered for his time as Barcelona manager than he is for his efforts on the pitch, but he was fantastic in both departments.

Johan Cruyff's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

180

Goals

60

Assists

8

Trophies

2

3 Andres Iniesta

1996-2018

Barcelona's soccer player Andres Iniesta 

One of the greatest midfielders of all time. Andres Iniesta spent over 20 years in the Barcelona set-up, and the work he did during his time in the first team was miraculous. The star initially started off as a defensive midfielder, but it quickly became apparent that he possessed some serious flair on the ball, and his ability to find space anywhere on the pitch, paired with his ball control, saw him spend more time driving forward.

Iniesta was responsible for so many legendary moments at Camp Nou, and the partnership he formed with Xavi in the middle of the park is possibly the greatest midfield duo in the history of football.

Andres Iniesta's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

674

Goals

57

Assists

136

Trophies

29

2 Xavi

1991-2015

Xavi of Barcelona looks on

In terms of the greatest midfielders ever, this man is pretty much at the top of the conversation. Xavi spent almost a quarter of a century with Barcelona, and during that time, he really revolutionised what a central midfielder could do for his club. The Spaniard is regarded as one of the best passers to ever play football.

His partnership with Iniesta in midfield played a major role in Barcelona forming one of the most dominant sides of all time under Pep Guardiola. No one could do it quite like Xavi, and across 767 matches, and a three-year stint as club manager, he's undoubtedly one of the greatest figures in Barcelona history.

Xavi's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

767

Goals

85

Assists

185

Trophies

25

1 Lionel Messi

2000-2021

Lionel Messi

Not just the greatest Barcelona player of all time, but possibly the greatest footballer ever, period. Lionel Messi is unlike anyone else, and the level at which he was playing football during his time in Spain will never be matched. The Argentine broke records during his tenure at Camp Nou, and there's no doubt whatsoever about his place at the top of this list.

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In 778 matches, he recorded almost 1000 goal contributions, a staggering number which reflects just how dominant he was during his time at Barcelona. It's unlikely there will ever be another player quite like him.

Lionel Messi's Barcelona statistics

Appearances

778

Goals

672

Assists

303

Trophies

34

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.