Top 5 Barcelona players to have graduated from La Masia

#3 Andres Iniesta

The magician: Andres Iniesta

Iniesta is not just a very good football player; he is a work of art. Widely regarded as the best midfielder of his generation as well as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, Andres Iniesta has it all. A unique blend of talent, technique, and temperament, Iniesta glides through the football pitch.

His telepathic partnership with Messi and Xavi formed a trio which took the footballing world by storm. If you are a true football fan, you cannot hate Iniesta. As a testament to his bewitching football prowess, he remains one of the only three Barcelona players, after Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho, to receive a standing ovation at the Santiago Bernabéu, home of Barcelona’s arch rivals Real Madrid. Such is the respect the man holds even in the hearts of his opponents.

At La Masia, Iniesta originally started as a defensive midfielder, but his skill on the ball, work ethic, and inventiveness saw him make progress as a playmaker. Such is his versatility that he has played as a false winger, central midfielder, deep midfielder and just behind the striker and has always been excellent.

Winner of multiple European crowns both for club and country as well as lifting the World Cup with Spain in 2010 by scoring the winner in the final against the Netherlands, Andres Iniesta is the nice guy who finished first.