Barcelona

Swiss Joan Gamper incredibly placed an advertisement in Los Deportes which demonstrated his desire to form a football club, and eleven players attended the first meeting, with Foot-Ball Club Barcelona officially being formed 125 years ago to the day.

With that in mind, Sports Mole has taken on the incredibly difficult task of naming the top 10 greatest Barcelona players of all time, and some legends of the club had to miss out due to the nature of the competition.

Notable mentions in this list go to the likes of Rivaldo, Romario, Gerard Pique, Michael Laudrup and Ronald Koeman, but there are also many others who deserve acknowledgement, having had incredible career with the Catalan giants.

10. Paulino Alcantara

Only Messi (672) has scored more goals for Barcelona than Paulino Alcantara, with the striker boasting an incredible record of 395 goals in 399 matches for the Catalan giants between 1912 and 1916 and 1918 and 1927.

Alcantara made his debut for Barcelona at the age of 15, and he won 19 trophies during his time with the club, including 10 Catalan Football Championships and five Copa del Reys, and he became a doctor after retiring at the age of 31.

Some outstanding players have missed out on the top 10, but there had to be a spot for Alcantara considering his incredible goalscoring record, with the closest player to him being Cesar Rodriguez, who netted 232 times for the club to sit third in the all-time list.

9. Carles Puyol

An inspirational captain for Barcelona, Puyol made 593 appearances for the club between 1999 and 2014, placing him sixth on the all-time appearance list.

Puyol was Barcelona's skipper from August 2004 until his retirement in 2014, and he won 18 major trophies for the club, including six La Liga titles and three Champions League crowns.

The Spaniard was a brilliant defender, but it was his personality and tenacity that made him such a success at Camp Nou, and he will forever be remembered as one of the most important players in Barcelona's history.

Puyol was named in the UEFA Team of the Year on six occasions, and there have been few players with his personality, tenacity and presence in the history of football.

8. Cesar Rodriguez

As mentioned, Rodriguez is third in the all-time goalscorers list for Barcelona, having netted 232 times in 351 matches for the club between 1942 and 1955, while he won five La Liga championships.

Rodriguez won 13 trophies during his time with Barcelona, and he was a vital part of the side that lifted five trophies in 1951-52.

Described as one of the club's first true 'superstars', Rodriguez had an incredible ability to score from corners, while his first touch is said to have been one of the best in the history of the sport.

7. Sergio Busquets

Only Xavi (767) and Messi (778) have played more times for Barcelona than Sergio Busquets, with the midfielder turning out on 722 occasions for the club between 2008 and 2023, winning an incredible 32 trophies in the process.

Busquets lifted nine La Liga titles and three Champions League crowns, and he helped Barcelona win the continental treble in both 2008-09 and 2014-15 during a period of dominance from the Catalan giants.

Considered to be one of the finest defensive midfielders of all time, Busquets is one of the best conductors to ever operate in a central area, and he was the brain in one of the most incredible teams in the history of the sport.

Busquets decided to leave Barcelona at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, but he is still active, currently turning out for Inter Miami.

6. Laszlo Kubala

Laszlo Kubala sits fifth on the all-time goalscoring list for Barcelona, having scored 194 times in 281 matches for the club between 1950 and 1961, and he is undoubtedly one of the best players to have ever played for the Catalan giants.

The Hungarian-born striker was incredibly quick and skilful, while he also had impressive composure and the ability to strike a ball like few others could, which helped Barcelona win four La Liga titles and also finish as the runners-up in the 1960-61 European Cup.

Kubala is in incredible company towards the top of the all-time goalscorer list for Barcelona, and he was always going to rank high on this list considering the form that he showed during his time with the Catalan outfit.

5. Ronaldinho

One of the most magical players to ever grace the pitch, Ronaldinho turned out for Barcelona between 2003 and 2008, scoring 94 goals and registering 71 assists in 207 appearances for the club in all competitions.

The Brazilian won two La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups and the Champions League during his time at Camp Nou, and there have been few players like him throughout history due to his mesmeric ability.

Ronaldinho is the only player to have won a World Cup, a Copa America, a Confederations Cup, a Champions League, a Copa Libertadores and a Ballon d'Or, and Barcelona certainly had him during his best.

The Brazilian is credited in playing a major role in changing Barcelona's history, as he inspired them to the 2005-06 Champions League title, in addition to the La Liga trophy the same season, which led to him being named the 2005 Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year.

4. Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff is far from the most successful footballer in Barcelona's history, winning just two trophies during his time at the club, but he will forever be remembered as one of their most important players.

The Dutchman scored 60 times in 180 appearances for Barcelona between 1973 and 1978, winning the Ballon d'Or twice during his time at Camp Nou, while his 'Total Football' philosophy makes him one of the most important figures in modern football.

Cruyff would later manage Barcelona between May 1988 and May 1996, leading the club to 11 trophies, including four La Liga titles and the European Cup.

The former attacker boasted some of the best ball control ever witnessed in football, while his passing ability and vision set him apart, with Cruyff simply one of a kind.

3. Xavi

Only Messi (778) has made more appearances for Barcelona than Xavi, with the legendary midfielder representing the club on 767 occasions between 1998 and 2015, and he was always going to be in the top three.

Joining Barcelona's youth academy at the age of 11, Xavi's first-team debut came at the age of 18, and he won eight La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns during a highly-successful period at Camp Nou.

One of the greatest midfielders to have ever lived, Xavi later managed Barcelona, taking charge of the club between November 2021 and May 2024, leading them to the 2022-23 La Liga title and 2023 Spanish Super Cup.

Xavi was a key part of the iconic midfield trio of Andres Iniesta and Busquets, and there is no question that he will forever be remembered as one of the greatest figures in the club's history.

2. Andres Iniesta

It was incredibly difficult to separate Iniesta and Xavi, with the pair both so important for Barcelona, but the former has edged into second on this list, and he certainly deserves to be there.

One of the greatest midfielders to ever take to the field, Iniesta turned out on 674 occasions for Barcelona, making his first-team debut in 2002 at the age of 18 before representing the club until 2018.

Iniesta helped Barcelona win two historic trebles in 2009 and 2015, while he lifted 35 trophies in total, including nine La Liga championships and four Champions League titles.

A simply beautiful footballer, Iniesta was absolutely vital to a Barcelona side regarded by many to be the best of all time, and he is criminally under-rated when the greats of the game are mentioned.

1. Lionel Messi

There was only ever going to be one name at the top of this list, with Lionel Messi simply the best footballer to ever represent Barcelona, while he will forever be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.

Messi leads the way in terms of appearances (778) and goals (672), representing the Catalan giants between 2004 and 2021, winning 10 La Liga trophies, seven Copa del Rey titles and four Champions League crowns.

The forward made the move to Barcelona at the age of 13, eventually progressing to the first team at 17, and he went on to establish himself as one of the best players ever to take to the field.

Messi's genius is so difficult to put into words - his long-standing rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo produced so many incredible moments, with the two players pushing each other to incredible heights.

The attacker's contribution can be measured in numbers, but he was so much more to Barcelona, producing magic almost every time that he took to the field, and it was one of the biggest shocks of all time when he departed the club on a free transfer in 2021.