Ranking the Greatest FC Barcelona Players of All Time

It was 1899 when the foundation of this club was laid by Joan Gamper along with some German, Catalan, Swiss, and English folks. Since then the club has produced big names of the football thanks to LaMasia and the popularity of the club that enabled the big-money signings. 

The list goes on starting from Rivaldo and ending on the arguably greatest player of all time, Lionel Andres Messi. Each of them has a unique story that is relatable to most of the Culers out there. The legends came from across the globe where football is played with great enthusiasm: Uruguay, Brazil, Netherlands, Argentina (of course), and more. 

Anyhow, without much ado, let’s talk about the legends. 

• Rivaldo

When Ronaldo Nazario left Barcelona in 1997, he left a key position to be filled. Barcelona was on the market to replace him. Even though they couldn’t find a direct replacement for the out-and-out striker, they relied on Rivaldo to fill the role. But did he?

He calls himself more of a creator who can score goals. In my opinion, he was a proper goal scorer and the numbers tell themselves: he scored 136 times in 253 for the club counting in all the competitions he played in. His form was sublime at that time, he was scoring goals day in and day out. For his performances, he won the Ballon d’Or 1999 while at the FC Barcelona. 

He wasn’t loved by the manager at that time, Louis Van Gaal, so he started to play fewer games. Even though he was playing less games, he was still a great asset on the pitch every time he touched the grass. He played at FC Barcelona for five seasons and now is considered a club legend. 

• Romario

Another Brazilian who played for FC Barcelona. Not just play, he came there to win and he was a spectacular player. It isn’t coming from me but Johan Cruyff himself said that he is the best player he’s ever coached. 

Crazy witty dribbling, sublime finishing, low center of gravity (I know it does remind you of someone else), and more. He was a fine player. He was awarded FIFA World Cup Player of the Year after winning the World Cup. He was literally the best player in the 1994 World Cup USA. 

As for Barcelona, he scored 30 goals in 33 games in his debut season. He definitely impressed the club and the fans altogether. But his days were short at the club. He was allowed a few days of vacation after the World Cup but he continued to party and was late to rejoin the training after the vacations. This led the club selling him because of his poor discipline and over-partying habits. 

• Suarez

I have been watching him since his Liverpool days and my word, he was crazy good. He used to score goals for fun. Whether it was a volley, free-kick, or penalty, he could do it all. Even now he is still great but for Inter Miami and MLS. 

Speaking of which, I stream Inter Miami’s matches in 4K through my Xfinity Internet which offers affordable plans and zero to minimal outage rates, including supreme customer service tailored for Spanish speakers like myself at Xfinity en español. Every time I tune in to the matches, Suarez is on the scoresheet most of the time. It was his debut season and he has scored on 25 occasions already. 

Rewinding the clock, for Blaugrana, he was too good. At a time when nobody was getting close to the numbers Ronaldo and Messi were putting in, he outscored them in 2016 and got his second Golden Shoe. The first one he won was with Liverpool and then he moved to Barcelona. 

In a career spanning six seasons, he scored 210 goals in 300 appearances for Barcelona. He is the third-highest goal scorer of the club and a great legend of not just the club but the football world. 

He is arguably the best striker of all time. Some regard him as better than Ronaldo Nazario because Ronaldo struggled to be physically fit which is an important aspect of a game like football. 

• Messi

Ask anyone who has seen merely a couple of matches of football and they would know his name. Yeah, that big of a legend he is. 

He started his story with Barcelona when he was just a kid with a height problem. LaMasia scouts were out to see young talents and he stood out. LaMasia signed him and took care of his height-related problem. 

Fast forwarding it to 2003 when he made his debut for the senior team and then it changed everything for the club and himself. In 2004, under Frank Rijkaard, he became a regular starter for the team. Till 2008, he was shadowed by Ronaldinho. In 2008, Ronaldinho fell off the plans of Pep Guardiola and departed the club. Every eye was focused on Messi to live up to the expectation and he did (even way beyond that). 

He is the club’s highest goal scorer with a goal tally of 672 goals which I don’t think will ever be broken by anyone (maybe Lamine Yamal because he is starting early). 

Wrapping It All Up

If you are a Barca fan and want to hang out with a digital community of fellow fans, here is a subreddit for you. We talk a lot about the club ranging from the post-match analysis to the players in form and even their contractual situations. Do check it out, you are going to have fun.