1. Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho, born on March 21, 1980, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, whose full name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, is affectionately known as Ronnie, with the nickname Ronaldinho Gaucho. He is a retired Brazilian footballer who played as a forward, and his early training took place at the Grêmio football club. Ronaldinho won the Ballon d'Or in 2005, and he is regarded as one of the greatest players in football history. The name Ronaldinho, which means 'little Ronaldo' in Portuguese, was used to distinguish him from Ronaldo in Brazil. He only adopted the name Ronaldinho when he moved to Europe. Before joining AC Milan, he played for Grêmio, Paris Saint-Germain, and FC Barcelona. At Barcelona, he formed a deadly partnership with Samuel Eto'o, helping the club win its first-ever Champions League title in 2006. He became a Spanish citizen in January 2007.
Ronaldinho's exceptional talent became evident at a young age, earning him the nickname Ronaldinho because he was often the smallest and youngest player in youth club matches. He captured media attention at the age of thirteen by scoring all 23 goals in a 23-0 victory over a local team. During his time at Barcelona, he was widely considered the best player in the world, known for his mesmerizing dribbling, extraordinary technical skills, and quick pace. He was also a free-kick specialist and played a pivotal role in securing two La Liga titles and a Champions League victory. After leaving Barcelona, his form significantly declined. Known for his ever-present smile, even after fouls, he played football with passion and joy. His ball control often seemed like magic, captivating fans everywhere. He was not only a player with immense talent but also a role model with a great character, inspiring younger generations to follow in his footsteps.


2. Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira, born on April 19, 1972, in Paulista, Pernambuco, is best known as Rivaldo, a former Brazilian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He was named FIFA Player of the Year in 1999 and won the Ballon d'Or in the same year.
The peak of Rivaldo's career came during his five-year stint at FC Barcelona, where he helped the club secure two consecutive La Liga titles (1998-1999) and the 1998 Copa del Rey. During this period, he also played a key role in Brazil's fifth World Cup triumph. In April 2004, Rivaldo was included in Pelé's list of the 125 greatest living footballers. From 1993 to 2003, he played 86 matches for the Brazil national team, scoring 36 goals, and was a major contributor to Brazil’s 2002 World Cup victory. Known for his exceptional playmaking ability and technical flair, Rivaldo was also famous for his distinctive and beautiful free-kick strikes.
The former Brazilian star, with his gifted left foot, was known for producing unique and mesmerizing shots with an unusual ball trajectory. His playing style, heavily influenced by Brazil's footballing tradition, quickly earned him admiration from fans. Despite being an attacking midfielder, Rivaldo's goal tally rivaled that of many strikers. One of his most iconic moments was a hat-trick against Valencia in June 2001, which helped secure Barcelona’s qualification for the prestigious Champions League. He won two La Liga titles with Barcelona in 1998 and 1999.
In June 2002, a significant event in Rivaldo's career occurred when manager Louis van Gaal, with whom Rivaldo had a strained relationship, returned to Barcelona. Rivaldo soon terminated his contract with the club and signed a three-year deal with Italian giants AC Milan. At Milan, he won the Coppa Italia and UEFA Champions League in 2003. However, his time at Milan was less successful than expected. Rivaldo eventually left the club after struggling with injuries and limited playing time. He returned to Brazil to play for Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte, and in 2004, moved to Greece to join Olympiacos FC after declining an offer from Bolton in the Premier League.


3. Andres Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta Luján, born May 11, 1984, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder and currently captains J1 League's Vissel Kobe. Considered one of the finest midfielders in football history and one of the greatest players of all time, Iniesta spent most of his career at Barcelona, where he captained the club for three seasons.
Throughout his playing career, Iniesta was known by several nicknames, including 'El Ilusionista' (The Illusionist), 'El Cerebro' (The Brain), 'El Anti-Galáctico' (The Anti-Galáctico), and 'El Caballero Pálido' (The Pale Knight). Born in Fuentealbilla, a small village in Albacete, Castile-La Mancha, he mostly played futsal due to the lack of football pitches in his town. At 12, after impressing scouts while playing in a 7-a-side youth tournament with Albacete Balompié, Iniesta’s parents were persuaded by Barcelona’s youth coach Enrique Orizaola to send him to Barcelona's famed academy.
During the 2004-2005 season, Iniesta played 37 out of 38 La Liga matches, the most of any player, though 25 were as a substitute. He scored twice as Barcelona won La Liga. A major opportunity arose in the 2005-2006 season when Xavi’s injury allowed Iniesta to play regularly in the center of midfield. He made 11 appearances in the UEFA Champions League, including a substitute role in the 2006 final, where Barcelona secured both La Liga and the Champions League titles.
In the Champions League’s knockout stage, he played as a central midfielder against Liverpool. Iniesta also made his mark as a left-wing forward against Levski Sofia, scoring twice. Although coach Frank Rijkaard shuffled his position often, the 2006-2007 season remains Iniesta's most prolific season in terms of goals.


4. Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov was born on February 8, 1966, in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, and is a former football player renowned for his exceptional skills. He was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1994. Stoichkov began his professional career in 1984 at the age of 18 with ZSKA Sofia in Bulgaria's top division.
Known for his flawless technique, blistering pace, and exceptional left foot, Stoichkov moved to FC Barcelona in 1990 after achieving 3 national titles and 5 domestic cup victories with his previous club. During his five years at Barcelona, he helped his team clinch five consecutive La Liga titles. The year 1994 was particularly remarkable for Stoichkov as he not only won La Liga with Barcelona but also led the Bulgarian national team to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup. He was the tournament's top scorer with 6 goals and was named FIFA World Player of the Year.
As his career progressed and age caught up with him, Stoichkov transferred to Parma F.C. in 1995, only to return to Barcelona a year later. Following an underwhelming World Cup performance with Bulgaria, he played professionally in Lebanon, Japan, and the United States. Stoichkov was named Bulgarian Footballer of the Year four times and scored 38 goals in 84 appearances for his national team. In June 2004, he succeeded Plamen Markov as the head coach of the Bulgarian national team, a role he held until April 2007.


5. Josep Guardiola
Josep "Pep" Guardiola Sala, born on January 18, 1971, is a retired Spanish midfielder who currently manages Manchester City. He spent the majority of his playing career at Barcelona, where he captained the legendary 'Dream Team' under Johan Cruyff, leading them to their first European Cup title.
Guardiola also had stints with Brescia Calcio, A.S. Roma, Al-Ahli, and Dorados de Sinaloa, and represented both the Spanish national team and Catalonia. Today, he is considered one of the best football managers globally. After retiring, Guardiola took charge of Barcelona's youth team, FC Barcelona Atlètic. On May 8, 2008, Barcelona president Joan Laporta announced that Guardiola would replace Frank Rijkaard as first-team coach, and he officially signed the contract on June 5, 2008. In his debut season, Guardiola led Barcelona to an extraordinary sextuple, winning La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.
In his second season, Guardiola's Barcelona won La Liga and Copa del Rey again but was knocked out by Inter Milan in the Champions League semi-finals. The 2010-2011 season was another triumph, with Barcelona winning every major title except the Copa del Rey, where they lost 1-0 to Real Madrid in the final, thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo goal. However, the 2011-2012 season saw Barcelona finish second in La Liga, behind Real Madrid, and fail to defend their Champions League crown.
On April 27, 2012, Guardiola announced his departure from Barcelona after four years in charge, leaving behind a team that perfected the Tiki-Taka style and collected 13 major trophies. Tito Vilanova succeeded him as coach. Guardiola's final match came on May 26, 2012, in the Copa del Rey final, securing his 14th title in just four years and marking the end of one of the most successful managerial reigns in Barcelona's history.


6. Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff was born on April 25, 1947, in Amsterdam and passed away on March 24, 2016, in Barcelona. He was a renowned Dutch footballer and coach. During his playing career, he won the Ballon d'Or three times (1971, 1973, 1974). Cruyff was one of the key figures in the development of the Total Football philosophy pioneered by Rinus Michels.
In the 1970s, Dutch football blossomed from being relatively unknown to becoming a powerhouse. Cruyff led the Netherlands to the 1974 World Cup final, winning the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. Fluent in five languages, he earned the nickname 'Saint Johan' and is regarded as the greatest Dutch player of all time and one of the best footballers in history. At the club level, Cruyff began his career at Ajax, where he won 8 league titles and 3 European Cups. In 1973, he transferred to FC Barcelona, setting a new transfer record. In his first season, he helped Barcelona win La Liga and also won the Ballon d'Or.
Considered one of the most influential figures in football history, Cruyff's playing style and philosophy have shaped the way both players and managers approach the game. Ajax and Barcelona are among the clubs that developed their youth academies based on Cruyff's coaching principles. His methods paved the way for Ajax's resurgence in the 1990s and contributed to the success of Spanish football at both club and international levels from 2008 to 2012, demonstrating his lasting impact on modern football.
As Johan Neeskens once stated, 'If you look at the greatest players in history, most of them cannot coach. If you look at the greatest coaches, most of them were not great players. Johan Cruyff managed to do both, and in such an inspiring way.' After retiring in 1984, Cruyff had a successful coaching career with both Ajax and Barcelona, passing away in 2016.


7. Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup was born on June 15, 1964, and is a retired Danish footballer. He also had a career as a coach, notably leading Swansea City in the English Premier League. Laudrup's most successful period was at FC Barcelona, where he won four consecutive La Liga titles and the 1992 UEFA Champions League.
In 1994, Laudrup made a controversial move to Barcelona's fierce rivals, Real Madrid, where he clinched his fifth La Liga title. He scored 37 goals in 104 appearances for the Danish national team, a tally surpassed only by Peter Schmeichel (129 matches) and Thomas Helveg (108 matches). From November 1994, he captained Denmark in 28 international matches until his retirement in June 1998.
In 1999, Laudrup was honored as the best foreign player in Spain's football history over the previous 25 years. In April 2000, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Dannebrog, and in November 2003, to commemorate UEFA's founding, he was voted Denmark's Golden Player, recognized as the best Danish footballer of the past 50 years. By November 2006, he was officially named Denmark's greatest footballer of all time.
After retiring, Laudrup transitioned into coaching. He became an assistant coach for Denmark's national team and later managed Brøndby IF in 2002, where he led the team to win the Danish Superliga. He chose not to renew his contract with Brøndby in May 2006. In 2007, the club honored him by naming the bench at their stadium after him, with Laudrup's approval. In 2004, he was named one of the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest living footballers, by Pelé.


8. Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi Cuccittini, born on June 24, 1987, commonly known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine footballer currently playing as a forward for Paris Saint-Germain and serving as the captain of the Argentina national football team. Considered one of the greatest players of all time, Messi has won the Ballon d'Or six times and the European Golden Shoe six times. In 2020, he was included in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team. Before his departure in 2021, Messi dedicated his entire career to Barcelona, where he won a record 35 club titles, including 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles, and 4 UEFA Champions League trophies.
As a prolific goal scorer and leading assist provider, Messi holds numerous records, including the most goals in La Liga (474), most goals in a single La Liga season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (8), most assists in La Liga (192), most assists in a La Liga season (21), and most assists in Copa América (17). He has scored over 750 goals in his career for both club and country, making him the all-time top scorer for a single club.
Messi began playing football at a young age, with Barcelona discovering his talent while he was training with Newell’s Old Boys. In 2000, he moved to Spain and joined Barcelona's youth academy. Diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency, the club covered all his treatment expenses. Messi made his first-team debut in the 2004-2005 season, breaking the record as the youngest player to appear in La Liga and the youngest to score in the competition. He contributed significantly to the club’s numerous victories both domestically and internationally. To date, Messi has netted 464 goals in 563 matches. On his 18th birthday, Messi signed his first professional contract, solidifying his future at Barcelona until 2010. His breakthrough came two months later, on August 24, in the Joan Gamper Trophy, where he impressed against Juventus, receiving praise from the entire Camp Nou crowd.


9. László Kubala
László Kubala Stecz (June 10, 1927 – May 17, 2002), also known as Ladislav Kubala, was a professional footballer who played as a forward for clubs like Ferencváros, Slovan Bratislava, Barcelona, and Espanyol, among others. Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, Kubala is considered a hero of FC Barcelona.
Born a Hungarian citizen, Kubala also held Czechoslovakian and Spanish citizenship, representing the national teams of all three countries. He was renowned for his fast and skillful dribbling, calm yet powerful finishing, and his precision with free kicks. Throughout the 1950s, he was a key member of Barcelona’s successful squad, scoring 280 goals in 345 appearances.
In a fan poll celebrating Barcelona’s centenary in 1999, Kubala was named the best player ever to have played for the Spanish club. After retiring as a player, he had two stints as Barcelona’s head coach and also coached the Spanish national team and Olympic team. Kubala was known for his rapid and skillful dribbling, composed and powerful shooting, as well as his accuracy in free-kicks. He also had a short retirement as a player in 1961 before becoming Barcelona’s youth coach and later moving up to coach the senior team in the 1962-1963 season.
In his first La Liga season (1951-1952), Kubala netted 26 goals in 19 matches. This included seven goals in a 9-0 victory over Sporting de Gijón, five goals against Celta de Vigo, and a hat-trick against both Sevilla and Racing de Santander. His seven goals against Gijón remain the most goals ever scored in a single La Liga match. Kubala also scored in the Copa del Rey final, leading Barcelona to a 4-2 victory over Valencia.


10. Xavi Hernandez
Xavier Hernández Creus, born on January 25, 1980, commonly known as Xavi, is a Spanish football manager and former player. He currently serves as the head coach of Al Sadd in Qatar. Xavi is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the history of football.
He dedicated the majority of his career to Barcelona, where he was named the best player of the 2008 UEFA European Championship and ranked among the top five players globally for the 2007-2008 season by FIFA. Xavi earned 104 caps for Spain, winning the 2008 European Championship, the 2010 World Cup, and the 2012 European Championship. He is a product of Barcelona's La Masia academy and spent his entire career at Camp Nou, starting from the age of 11. Xavi quickly rose through the ranks of the youth and reserve teams, becoming a key player for Barcelona B under Jordi Gonzalvo, where they won the third division title.
His rapid development earned him a debut on August 18, 1998, during the Spanish Super Cup, in which he scored against RCD Mallorca. Xavi swiftly became an important player for Louis van Gaal's Barcelona, which won La Liga. Considered the successor to Josep Guardiola in Barcelona's locker room, Xavi took on the role of the team's playmaker after Guardiola's departure. Since the 2004-2005 season, Xavi has also served as Barcelona's vice-captain.
During the 2005-2006 season, Xavi suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for five months, causing him to miss most of the season. However, he made a return in April and was on the bench for the 2006 Champions League final. Xavi surpassed Carles Rexach in appearances for Barcelona, reaching his 452nd appearance in February 2009 during his 11th season. On January 2, 2011, he broke Migueli's record with 549 appearances, becoming Barcelona's all-time most capped player. Xavi is also the player with the most assists in La Liga. On December 11, 2011, during a famous 3-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid, Xavi became the first Barcelona player to surpass 600 appearances for the club.

