{"id":1233392,"date":"2025-09-26T14:15:23","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T13:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1233392"},"modified":"2025-09-26T14:15:24","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T13:15:24","slug":"barcelona-best-players-modern-history","status":"publish","type":"cult-corner","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/cult-corner\/barcelona-best-players-modern-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranked: The top 10 Barcelona players in modern history"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Barcelona have been one of the greatest clubs in the Champions League era.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>Blaugrana<\/em> actually won the last edition of the old European Cup in 1991-92, starting the new era as champions. And while it took them over a decade to really find their footing on the continent, domestically they&#8217;ve been incredible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even allowing for a six-year title drought, Barcelona have won an astonishing number of titles in the Champions League era. This includes 16 La Liga titles, 10 Copa del Rey trophies and a further four Champions Leagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This era has been marked by some spectacular players, some of the very best to play in the game in the modern era. But who is the best? Who is even among them? Well, we&#8217;ve had a go at ranking the top 10 Barcelona players of the modern era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some truly world-class talents have been left out. But when longevity and impact with Barcelona have been considered, even something like Ronaldo&#8217;s amazing 1996-97 season can&#8217;t stack up. This is the very upper echelon of football here. Who made the cut?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-10-rivaldo\">10. Rivaldo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Barcelona appearances:<\/strong> 235<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona goals:<\/strong> 130<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona trophies:<\/strong> 1997 Uefa Super Cup, La Liga (2), 1997-98 Copa del Rey<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Barcelona&#8217;s recent woes seem epic but consider that the club once went six years without winning a trophy. In all that time Rivaldo did his best to carry the club on his back, performing miracles to keep Barcelona in the hunt. It is for that, struggling through adversity, that he takes his spot at No.10 ahead of the likes of Neymar, who knew only times of plenty.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/20161907\/1137577_1137577_rivaldo-barcelona-2000.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1137605\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/20161907\/1137577_1137577_rivaldo-barcelona-2000.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/20161907\/1137577_1137577_rivaldo-barcelona-2000-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/20161907\/1137577_1137577_rivaldo-barcelona-2000-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/03\/20161907\/1137577_1137577_rivaldo-barcelona-2000-66x44.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-9-luis-suarez\">9. Luis Suarez<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Barcelona appearances:<\/strong> 283<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona goals:<\/strong> 198<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona trophies:<\/strong> La Liga (4), Copa del Rey (4), Supercopa de Espana (2), 2014-15 Champions League, 2015 Uefa Super Cup, 2015 Fifa Club World Cup<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Samuel Eto&#8217;o was more ferocious but there can be no arguing that Luis Suarez was objectively the better Barcelona striker. Suarez&#8217;s first two seasons were works of dizzying artistry and his third was pretty great too. Then he had three years where even though he struggled, he scored. He scored and scored. Only Lionel Messi, Paulino Alcantara and Cesar Rodriguez have scored more than he has for Barcelona.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"657\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/15182636\/1171146_1171146_luis-suarez-leo-messi-barcelona-2017.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1171187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/15182636\/1171146_1171146_luis-suarez-leo-messi-barcelona-2017.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/15182636\/1171146_1171146_luis-suarez-leo-messi-barcelona-2017-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/15182636\/1171146_1171146_luis-suarez-leo-messi-barcelona-2017-768x493.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/15182636\/1171146_1171146_luis-suarez-leo-messi-barcelona-2017-66x42.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/15182636\/1171146_1171146_luis-suarez-leo-messi-barcelona-2017-80x51.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/15182636\/1171146_1171146_luis-suarez-leo-messi-barcelona-2017-180x115.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/15182636\/1171146_1171146_luis-suarez-leo-messi-barcelona-2017-374x240.jpg 374w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/15182636\/1171146_1171146_luis-suarez-leo-messi-barcelona-2017-935x600.jpg 935w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/15182636\/1171146_1171146_luis-suarez-leo-messi-barcelona-2017-370x237.jpg 370w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/15182636\/1171146_1171146_luis-suarez-leo-messi-barcelona-2017-240x154.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-8-dani-alves\">8. Dani Alves<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Barcelona appearances:<\/strong> 408<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona goals:<\/strong> 22<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona trophies:<\/strong> La Liga (6), Copa del Rey (4), Supercopa de Espana (4), Champions League (3), Uefa Super Cup (3), Fifa Club World Cup (3)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Dani Alves played right-back for Barcelona, but he was so much more than that. Simultaneously a full-back, a winger and a midfielder; the Brazilian was also the life and soul of a dressing room that went on a relentless winning run playing perfectionist high-wire football each and every week. There&#8217;s a reason Xavi brought him back to the club in 2021, even at the age of 38. His will was iron and Barcelona needed that focus back in the side. But also his never-ending sense of fun and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">ON THIS DAY: In 2019, Dani Alves became the first player in history to win 40 trophies.<br><br>??????????<br>??????????<br>??????????<br>??????????<br><br>One sensational career. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SxNCTpJ31u\">pic.twitter.com\/SxNCTpJ31u<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Squawka (@Squawka) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Squawka\/status\/1280396130489155584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 7, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-7-carles-puyol\">7. Carles Puyol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Barcelona appearances:<\/strong> 593<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona goals:<\/strong> 18<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona trophies:<\/strong> La Liga (6), Copa del Rey (2), Supercopa de Espana (4), Champions League (3), 2009 Uefa Super Cup, Fifa Club World Cup (2)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Carles Puyol was there for it all. The bad times, the good times, the great times, the barely believable times. Injury did limit Puyol&#8217;s impact as Pep Guardiola&#8217;s project reached perfection in 2011. But he remained the greatest leader the club could ever ask for. His decision to have Eric Abidal lift the Champions League trophy in 2011 after his recovery from cancer remains a high watermark in the history of that competition.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/05\/10134439\/Carles-Puyol-Barcelona-2006-1024x682.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1088314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/05\/10134439\/Carles-Puyol-Barcelona-2006.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/05\/10134439\/Carles-Puyol-Barcelona-2006-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/05\/10134439\/Carles-Puyol-Barcelona-2006-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/05\/10134439\/Carles-Puyol-Barcelona-2006-66x44.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-gerard-pique\">6. Gerard Pique<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Barcelona appearances:<\/strong> 616<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona goals:<\/strong> 53<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona trophies:<\/strong> La Liga (8), Copa del Rey (7), Supercopa de Espana (6), Champions League (3), Uefa Super Cup (3), Fifa Club World Cup (3)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The greatest centre-back in Barcelona (and Spanish) history. Yes, that&#8217;s correct. No, we know you don&#8217;t like it, but it&#8217;s true. A tall, skilled defender blessed with only average pace, Pique played his whole career in a system designed to expose his every flaw. And he was so damn good for so damn long that his mistakes turned into memes. This man won three Champions League finals for Barcelona and never once played with an actual central defender. And only once with a full-back who could be considered &#8220;defensive&#8221; (Eric Abidal in 2011). Pique faded before retirement but from 2009 to 2019 he was an absolute colossus.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"article-page__title\">Dabble sign-up offer: <b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Bet \u00a310+ &amp; Receive \u00a310 In Free Bets<\/b><\/h2>\r\n<p><strong>Not signed up to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/dabble-sign-up-offer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dabble<\/a> yet? Here's how to claim the <b data-stringify-type=\"bold\">Bet \u00a310+ &amp; Receive \u00a310 In Free Bets<\/b> welcome offer:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li>Sign up to Dabble through this <a href=\"\/en\/go\/dabble?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\">link<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li>Register your account with accurate personal details<\/li>\r\n<li>Place your first bet of \u00a310 or more<\/li>\r\n<li>Receive your \u00a310 in free bets when your qualifying bet has setted<\/li>\r\n<li>Use your Free Bet on any eligible sportsbook market within 7 days<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><a href=\"\/en\/go\/dabble?q=gb-all-con-wof-s-spo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1423518 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-300x250.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-300x250.png 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-320x267.png 320w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-240x200.png 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-72x60.png 72w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-150x125.png 150w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822-40x33.png 40w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/2026\/01\/12083841\/Screenshot-2026-01-12-083822.png 712w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply.\u00a0<a class=\"c-link\" href=\"http:\/\/gambleaware.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"http:\/\/GambleAware.org\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">GambleAware.org<\/a><\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-sergio-busquets\">5. Sergio Busquets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Barcelona appearances:<\/strong> 722<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona goals:<\/strong> 18<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona trophies:<\/strong> La Liga (9), Copa del Rey (7), Supercopa de Espana (6), Champions League (3), Uefa Super Cup (3), Fifa Club World Cup (3)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Often forgotten, usually overlooked, still underrated, still the most hated. Sergio Busquets will never get his flowers because he spent his entire career either playing with better midfielders or, y&#8217;know, the greatest player of all time. But while everyone looks at how they helped Busquets, no one ever considers how he helped them. It was Busquets&#8217; introduction into the Spain and Barcelona sides that supercharged the passing and pressing game to a near superhuman level. Now, Busquets has been brutally exposed by nonsense coaching since 2017. But his exploits with Luis Enrique and Spain show that when in the right system there is literally no midfielder who can stand up to him. Busquets left the <em>Blaugrana<\/em> in 2023 as the player with the third-most appearances in the club&#8217;s history. And he retires in 2025 as one of the best players in their modern history.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1212714\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-100x67.jpg 100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-85x57.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195501\/1212707_1212707_sergio-busquets-barcelona-2021-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-ronaldinho\">4. Ronaldinho<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Barcelona appearances:<\/strong> 207<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona goals:<\/strong> 94<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona trophies:<\/strong> La Liga (2), Supercopa de Espana (2), 2005-06 Champions League<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes it&#8217;s not all about winning trophy upon trophy and dominating everyone. Sometimes it&#8217;s about magic, about hocus pocus, sometimes football is about being a shining light in the dark. Ronaldinho taught an entire club to believe again in 2003. He lifted Barcelona out of the mud, ending their trophyless streak and turned them into one of the three best sides in the world with mesmeric, magical, magisterial football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ronaldinho&#8217;s peak coming pre-Twitter was one of the few great disappointments of his career. Because he genuinely did stuff that would have made an iconic gif every single game. Yes, his peak only ran for two years and it was all downhill after the Champions League win in 2006, but a thing isn&#8217;t beautiful because it lasts. It was a privilege to watch him.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/10160652\/1170467_1170467_PA-Ronaldinho-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1170497\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/10160652\/1170467_1170467_PA-Ronaldinho-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/10160652\/1170467_1170467_PA-Ronaldinho-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/10160652\/1170467_1170467_PA-Ronaldinho-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/10160652\/1170467_1170467_PA-Ronaldinho-1-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/10160652\/1170467_1170467_PA-Ronaldinho-1-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/10160652\/1170467_1170467_PA-Ronaldinho-1-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/10160652\/1170467_1170467_PA-Ronaldinho-1-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/10160652\/1170467_1170467_PA-Ronaldinho-1-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/10160652\/1170467_1170467_PA-Ronaldinho-1-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/10160652\/1170467_1170467_PA-Ronaldinho-1-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2020\/10\/10160652\/1170467_1170467_PA-Ronaldinho-1.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-andres-iniesta\">3. Andres Iniesta<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Barcelona appearances:<\/strong> 674<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona goals:<\/strong> 57<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona trophies:<\/strong> La Liga (9), Copa del Rey (6), Supercopa de Espana (6), Champions League (4), Uefa Super Cup (2), Fifa Club World Cup (3)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the best way you can sum Andres Iniesta up is that in <em>two<\/em> (2) distinct seasons he received standing ovations at almost every single away ground in Spain all through the year. And in both seasons he walked away with La Liga, as well. A habitual winner and perhaps the only man who can rival Zinedine Zidane in terms of the reliability that he would show up in the big games. Iniesta was liquid on the pitch, capable of the most devastatingly dynamic football all while carrying the physical presence of a small child. And yet no one begrudged him, no one disliked him. Again: two seasons of ovations from opponents. Two!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"694\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/06\/10114715\/Andres-Iniesta-Barcelona-2011-1024x694.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1093090\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/06\/10114715\/Andres-Iniesta-Barcelona-2011.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/06\/10114715\/Andres-Iniesta-Barcelona-2011-300x203.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/06\/10114715\/Andres-Iniesta-Barcelona-2011-768x521.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/06\/10114715\/Andres-Iniesta-Barcelona-2011-66x45.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-xavi\">2. Xavi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Barcelona appearances:<\/strong> 767<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona goals:<\/strong> 85<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona trophies:<\/strong> La Liga (8), Copa del Rey (3), Supercopa de Espana (6), Champions League (4), Uefa Super Cup (2), Fifa Club World Cup (2)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>No footballer has ever dominated club and international football the way Xavi did from 2008-2013. In that time Xavi was the beating heart of arguably the best club side ever and perhaps the best international side ever. With Barcelona and Spain, Xavi was ridiculous. Even with just Barcelona, this was a prodigy given his debut by Louis van Gaal in the 90s who persevered through the dark periods, beyond a brutal ACL injury to become the figurehead, the standard-bearer for Guardiola&#8217;s Cruyffist revolution. A coach on the pitch, Xavi dominated every game he was in, and then he returned as a coach on the sidelines to lead Barcelona to two league titles.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/08\/16133138\/PA-Xavi-1-1024x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1102024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/08\/16133138\/PA-Xavi-1-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/08\/16133138\/PA-Xavi-1-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/08\/16133138\/PA-Xavi-1-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/08\/16133138\/PA-Xavi-1-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/08\/16133138\/PA-Xavi-1.jpg 1541w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-lionel-messi\">1. Lionel Messi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Barcelona appearances:<\/strong> 778<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona goals:<\/strong> 672<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Barcelona trophies:<\/strong> La Liga (10), Copa del Rey (7), Supercopa de Espana (8), Champions League (4), Uefa  Super Cup (3), Fifa Club World Cup (3)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There can be no question about who takes number one for Barcelona. The greatest player in the club&#8217;s modern history is also the greatest player in their history full-stop. As well as arguably the greatest player to ever play the game. That he only ever gets compared to Pele and Diego Maradona kind of says it all as to how good Lionel Messi was and how lucky Barcelona were to have him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Messi&#8217;s magic allowed the club to cover up a thousand different flaws, hiding the fact that the club has been in sporting decline ever since 2013 when Tito Vilanova left. Messi&#8217;s magic was especially evident after Neymar left in 2017, dragging the team to title upon title and you feel that with just a bit more help from his teammates (or, indeed, his last three coaches) then he&#8217;d have levelled with Paco Gento on 12 La Ligas, instead of two behind, and he&#8217;d have five or maybe even six Champions Leagues.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1212712\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-100x67.jpg 100w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-66x44.jpg 66w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-360x240.jpg 360w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-240x160.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-85x57.jpg 85w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-30x20.jpg 30w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2021\/07\/19195413\/1212707_1212707_lionel-leo-messi-barcelona-2021-b-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Even still, the trophy count is brutal. As is the fact that Messi  won over half the league titles he competed for (10\/17). Or the fact that technically he won the 2017-18 title without losing a game as he didn&#8217;t play in the <em>Blaugrana<\/em>&#8216;s only defeat that year. The man-of-the-match displays in the latter rounds of the Champions League, like his barely believable brace in the Santiago Bernabeu at the height of the Clasico war with Jose Mourinho&#8217;s Real Madrid, mark the era. Also his wondergoals (yes, plural) in the Copa del Rey finals. Or all of the stunning assists, and should-have-been assists after teammates wasted his passes. <em>Or the fact that he did these things across a span of 17 years<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s no way to fully sum up the legend of Messi at Barcelona. If you were lucky enough to witness it, you were blessed. If you missed it then YouTube and other such platforms are your best friend. We will never see his like again; a one-club man carrying his club through thick and thin until they reached such a low point that they literally could not afford to keep him. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/04\/18140031\/xavi-andres-iniesta-leo-messi-barcelona-2011-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1084902\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/04\/18140031\/xavi-andres-iniesta-leo-messi-barcelona-2011.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/04\/18140031\/xavi-andres-iniesta-leo-messi-barcelona-2011-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/04\/18140031\/xavi-andres-iniesta-leo-messi-barcelona-2011-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.squawka.com\/images\/en\/2019\/04\/18140031\/xavi-andres-iniesta-leo-messi-barcelona-2011-66x44.jpg 66w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<h3><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/\"><strong>Latest football news<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football betting tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best betting sites<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/betting-sites\/best-free-bet-offers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Best free bet offers<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/bet\/football-tips\/accumulator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football accumulator tips<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Barcelona have been one of the greatest clubs in the Champions League era. The Blaugrana actually won the last edition of the old European Cup in 1991-92, starting the new era as champions. And while it took them over a decade to really find their footing on the continent, domestically they&#8217;ve been incredible. Even allowing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":355,"featured_media":1308649,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Ranked: The top 10 Barcelona players in modern history","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Ranking the top 10 players in Barcelona's modern history, from Rivaldo to Lionel Messi. Who comes out on top?","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"squawka-category":[],"class_list":["post-1233392","cult-corner","type-cult-corner","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"external_featured_image_url":"","hide_featured_image_pattern":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ranked: The top 10 Barcelona players in modern history<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ranking the top 10 players in Barcelona&#039;s modern history, from Rivaldo to Lionel Messi. 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