Top 6 Barcelona Defenders of all time

#1 Carles Puyol

FC Barcelona v RC Deportivo La Coruna - La Liga — Puyol is regarded by many as the greatest defender in Barca's history

Passionately dubbed the Caveman, Captain Catalunya, Puyol was the very heart and soul of FC Barcelona. Nobody is more dedicated to the colours of Barcelona than the Catalan centre-back, who united with the La Masia football academy relatively late as an 18-year-old teenager.

Initially starting his Blaugrana-career as a right-back, he has been selected to the UEFA Team of the Year in no less than 5 times. He is one of the most decorated and successful Barca captains of all-time. Even when he was entering into the final stages of his career, he showed no signs of being tired of the fantastic game.

The long-haired Catalans legend's versatility to play in any position across the back four makes him an invaluable asset. Pretty much a living legend, Puyol will never be known to be a flashy footballer, but one of the fiercest centre-backs to ever play the game in history.

He may also be remembered as the leader of the greatest Barcelona side of all time (perhaps the greatest squad in club football), his contributions and importance to his dear team cannot be overstated.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Ashwin Hanagudu