Ranking the 5 best Barcelona players in La Liga history

#3 Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho is currently an ambassador of Barcelona.

Ronaldinho is one of the best players to have played for Barcelona since arriving at the club in 2003 following a disappointing stint with Paris Saint-Germain.

When the Brazilian arrived, the Blaugrana were struggling to win trophies, but things soon changed for the better. Renowned for his dribbling and passing skills, Ronaldinho impressed the Blaugrana faithful and kickstarted a successful era for the club.

Lionel Messi spoke highly of Ronaldiho's influence at Barcelona, saying:

“Ronaldinho was responsible for the change in Barca. It was a bad time, and the change that came about with his arrival was amazing. In the first year, he didn’t win anything but people fell in love with him. Then the trophies started coming. and he made all those people happy. Barca should always be grateful for everything he did.”

During his five years at Camp Nou, Ronaldinho won two La Liga titles, one UEFA Champions League (UCL) trophy and two Spanish Super Cups. He also won the Ballon d'Or award while playing for Barcelona.

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#2 Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona's career at Camp Nou was short but memorable

The late Diego Maradona spent just two seasons at Barcelona, but in 58 games, he scored 38 goals.

The Argentine arrived at Barcelona on a then world-record fee of £5 million, marking the first time Maradona played in Europe. During his career with Barcelona, the playmaker won three trophies - the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup and the Spanish League Cup.

Despite Maradona's short career with the Blaugrana, he is fondly remembered for his aggressiveness, dribbling skills, pace and knack for scoring. He was also the first Barcelona player to receive a standing ovation from Real Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Maradona's reputation soared when he played for Napoli, but he will definitely be one of the greatest players to have donned the No. 10 shirt at Barcelona.

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#1 Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is undoubtedly Barcelona's greatest player in history.

With six Ballon d'Or awards, ten La Liga trophies and countless other titles, Lionel Messi is undoubtedly the best player in Barcelona's history.

The La Masia academy graduate rose from the ranks to make his senior debut, scoring his first senior goal for Barcelona in 2005. While many of his teammates, like Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique, left for stints outside Spain, Messi decided to stay put at Barcelona.

In the 2004-05 season, the Argentine won his first La Liga title, and the next season, Messi won his first Champions League trophy. Former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola once praised Messi, saying:

"He's very strong, the strongest. Beyond his quality, it's his mentality and his head. He has that competitive mentality that only four or five players in history have; they have something different. We all knew that Messi was the best, but then there were six or seven others who were strong and others who didn't play because the others were so strong."

The winger has also been named La Liga Player of the Year on nine occasions and the UEFA Best Player in Europe three times.

ON THIS DAY: In 2008, Lionel Messi wore Barcelona's No.10 shirt for the first time in a 6-0 win against Hibernian.The rest, as they say, is history. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/0kp4wRyduH

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) July 24, 2021

Messi has been linked with moves away from the club in the last two transfer windows. But it seems likely that he will extend his stay at the club.