See which current stars make it into the incredible Barcelona all-time XI.
Ahead of Sunday’s Clasico, Goal has asked its readers to choose its ultimate greatest Barcelona XI. While there was great competition in every position, this was the final team that was produced:
GK) Victor Valdes 2002-2014
Valdes is an under-appreciated goalkeeper. No stopper has won more European Cups than the Spaniard, who was the cornerstone of the tiki-taka style that has won them so much in recent years; yet he was regularly criticised for being error-prone and inconsistent.
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RB) Daniel Alves 2008-
Alves was bought for €30m, an eye-watering fee at the time which now looks like a bargain. His hyper-aggressive style has seen him rack-up a ridiculous number of goals and assists at the Camp Nou.
CB) Ronald Koeman 1989-1995
The Southampton manager is the top scoring defender in Barcelona’s history, and a key part of Johan Cruyff’s “dream-team”. He also scored the winner in the 1992 European Cup final.
CB) Carles Puyol 1999-2014
The beast who provided the aggression to balance out the more lightweight players in the side, Puyol was a fierce competitor and the captain at the heart of Barcelona and Spain’s recent successes.
Joan Segarra – Barca tv from Joan Segarra on Vimeo.
LB) Joan Segarra 1949-1965
The legendary captain of Barcelona’s “team of five trophies” Segarra was a classy footballer from a different era. He has the fifth most starts of any player for the blaugrana.
CM) Johan Neeskens 1974-1979
Another great Dutchman from the Cruyff era, Neeskens is often in the shadow of the great Johan but was considered at the very least his equal at the time.
CM) Xavi 1998-
Xavi is finally coming to the end of a glorious career, filled with trophies and impressive pass-completion stats. He has won a ridiculous fifteen titles at his boyhood club.
CM) Johan Cruyff 1973-1978
The man who laid the foundations for modern Barca in his time as player and manager. Won three Ballons d’Or and established himself as one of the greatest to ever play the game while in Catalonia.
AM) Ronaldinho 2003-2008
Lao Tzu said “The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long,” and Ronaldinho is the embodiment of that thought. Over a period of less than two years, the Brazilian was not only the best in the world, but doing things that had never been seen before, and have yet to be seen since.
AM) Andres Iniesta 2002-
Andres Iniesta has lived in Messi’s shadow to some extent, but is was the all-round attacker who gives this Barca team the balance it needs. Able to drop deep alongside Xavi, or use his superb dribbling ability to play out wide or further up, the brilliant playmaker embodies the flexibility of Total Football.
ST) Lionel Messi 2004-
407 goals in 531 appearances. What else can one say about Messi? Four consecutive Ballons d’Or, winner of everything he could win Barcelona, and still only 27. Perhaps the greatest player the club have ever produced.