Traditionally, FC Barcelona are one of the biggest teams in Spain, and by extension, Europe. The club has managed to continuously deliver at the highest level for a very long time. Based in Catalunya, FC Barcelona have had a lot of legends of football on its books. Many of these legends represented the club from a tender age until they got to the twilight of their careers.
FC Barcelona treats its old players very well
Unlike some other clubs, FC Barcelona always make sure to give their old players the utmost respect when they are at the club, and when they choose to move on. Players like Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez, and Andres Iniesta have left the club in recent years at a very ripe age. These men left the club with their legendary status secured for life. This kind of treatment allows players to remain at the club for a long time.
Like every other club, FC Barcelona sometimes have to rely on their golden oldies for their experience in front of goal. Without further ado, here is a list of the five oldest goalscorers in FC Barcelona history.
#5 Xavi (35 years, 3 months and 3 days)
FC Barcelona manager Xavi enjoyed a successful career at the club as a player. The Spaniard first represented the club's senior side in 1998 after he graduated from their famed La Masia academy. He made his debut for the club in August 1998 against Mallorca and went on to make 767 appearances for Blaugrana.
Xavi scored a total of 84 goals for his boyhood club in his time at the club. His first goal for the club came in a 2-1 loss to Mallorca in 1998, and his last goal was in 2015. Xavi scored his last goal for the club on April 28th 2015 in a La Liga clash against Getafe. The Matchday 34 game ended 6-0 in favour of the Blaugrana, with Xavi's goal being the fourth of the game.
Xavi only ever played for Qatari side Al Sadd after his FC Barcelona exit. He is currently in charge of his boyhood club as a manager and hopes to restore their former glory.
#4 Jose Ramon Alexanko (35 years, 7 months and 2 days)
Jose Ramon Alexanko was one of the first players from the Basque country to play for Barcelona. The defender joined the club in 1980 when he was only 24 years old, and went on to captain the club.
Alexanko was part of Johan Cruyff's Dream Team that won the La Liga title four consecutive times. The Spaniard scored 36 times for FC Barcelona, with his last goal for the club coming in the 1991-92 season in a 5-3 win over Tenerife.
Alexanko captained FC Barcelona in the European Cup final in 1992 after having come off the bench to help his side lock up shop. He went on to serve as the club's assistant manager from 2000 to 2002.
#3 Carles Puyol (35 years, 10 months and 17 days)
In modern times, Carles Puyol is regarded as one of the greatest captains FC Barcelona has ever seen. The Spanish defender was a stalwart in defense and spent his entire career at the Catalan club.
Puyol made his debut for the club in 1999 and scored his first goal for the club on Matchday 12 of the 2001-02 season against Real Valladolid. His last goal for the club was on March 2nd 2014 when he scored in a 4-1 win over UD Almeria on Matchday 26 of the La Liga season.
Puyol retired in 2014 after 593 senior appearances and 19 goals for the club. He was captain of the club from 2004 after Luis Enrique left before his retirement in 2014.
#2 Joan Segarra (36 years, 5 months and 10 days)
Spanish defender Joan Segarra (1927-2008) is regarded as one of the best to represent the club ever. He played as a central defender or as a left back, depending on the choice of his manager.
Segarra joined FC Barcelona in 1949 from Vilfranca FC and remained at the club until 1964, making a total of 577 appearances. Despite being a defender, Segarra was a fine striker of the ball. This enabled him to score 32 goals in his time at the Camp Nou as a player.
His versatility and tenacity made him a fan favourite at the club. His last goal for the club came when he was 36 years, five months and 10 days old in the 1963-64 season.
Segarra returned to the club after his retirement from professional football, where he continued to work as a coach with the youth team. He eventually became the first-team assistant coach under Helenio Herrera in the 1979-80 season.
#1 Dani Alves (38 years, 9 months)
Despite being 38-year-old, Dani Alves is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. The Brazilian right-back is currently in his second spell at FC Barcelona. He is enjoying life at the club under the tutelage of former teammate Xavi.
Alves first played for Barça for eight years between 2008 and 2016 before moving abroad for a different experience. He then returned to the club after nearly six years to continue his work there. Alves became the oldest player to score a goal for the club recently. He found the net in their 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid on February 6th 2022.
Alves has made 396 appearances for the club and is undoubtedly a legend at the club. The Brazilian is the most decorated footballer in history and will look to add more titles with the club.