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From Diego Maradona to Johan Cruyff, FC Barcelona have had the privilege of fielding some of the best left-footed players in the club's illustrious history. These geniuses have added a dash of eccentricity to the Catalan giants' playing style, making the team more dynamic.
Barcelona have had some capable left-footed players in the 21st century as well. Not all left-footed players have fired on all cylinders but a couple of them have surpassed expectations handsomely.
On that note, here are Barcelona’s five best left-footed players of the 21st century.
#5 Malcom (2018 - 2019)
Malcom’s transfer to FC Barcelona has to go down as one of the most bizarre footballing events in recent history. The Brazilian forward was on his way to AS Roma from Bordeaux when Barcelona swooped in.
The Italian club were preparing for Malcom’s arrival, but the then 21-year-old landed in Barcelona instead. Unfortunately, the winger’s strange transfer to the Catalan club was the biggest highlight of his Barcelona career.
On the pitch, Malcom did not manage to woo the spectators. The left-footed winger had a few impressive games, of course, one of which came against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey.
However, his impressive debut goal against Real Madrid was not enough to save him from a premature exit from Barcelona.
Between 2018 and 2019, he only made 24 appearances, scoring four goals. He was shipped off to Zenit in the summer of 2019.
#4 Samuel Umtiti (2016 - Present)
While Malcom failed to match up to sky-high expectations, Samuel Umtiti is yet to get the chance to become a regular at FC Barcelona. The 2018 World Cup winner has suffered numerous injuries since joining the club from Lyon in 2016 and is yet to play his first game this season.
The left-footed centre-back has the capability to complement Gerard Pique better than any other player on the roster. Unfortunately, he has barely played over the last three seasons.
When on song, Umtiti can be chalked down as one of the most dependable players in La Liga. He is physically strong, can sprint faster than most forwards, and knows how to read the game.
The 27-year-old was France’s first-choice centre-back at the 2018 World Cup and helped them keep three clean sheets. Umtiti even scored the only goal in the semi-final win over Belgium.
Umtiti may have slid down the pecking order at Barcelona, but he still has the quality to reclaim his spot in the team.
With Gerard Pique in the twilight of his career, Barcelona could benefit from Umtiti’s top-tier experience in the coming seasons.
#3 Antoine Griezmann (2019 - Present)
When Antoine Griezmann joined Barcelona from Atletico Madrid in a mega-money deal in 2019, everyone expected him to form a formidable partnership with Lionel Messi. He performed admirably in a couple of games, but never got around to making the impact everyone expected.
The left-footed Frenchman showed glimpses of his ruthless yet creative self in some matches, but Barcelona could not afford to keep him on their payroll. In the summer of 2021, Griezmann moved back to Atletico Madrid on loan and has been performing admirably since.
He could return to Barcelona after a season, but Atletico are likely to extend his loan spell and trigger his buyout clause before that happens.
#2 Jordi Alba (2012 - Present)
Barcelona left-back Jordi Alba has only grown in stature since joining the Camp Nou outfit from Valencia in 2012. The Barcelona youth academy player took some time to find his way back to his parent club, but he has not looked back since.
In his debut season itself, the left-back made 44 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals.
Alba is known for his quick feet, in-swinging crosses, and acceleration. The Spanish left-back also formed a telepathic connection with Lionel Messi, which allowed Barcelona to rack up a number of goals over the years.
Alba currently serves as one of the club’s four captains and is among the first names on the team sheet.
#1 Lionel Messi (2005 - 2021)
To no one’s surprise, Barcelona and La Liga’s top-scorer Lionel Messi has occupied the top spot on our humble list. The Argentine international spent over two decades at Barcelona, realizing his dream of becoming one of the best players the game has ever seen.
Like his idol, Diego Maradona, Messi is also a left-footed player, although he has scored a fair amount of goals with his right as well. He has a natural tendency to drift towards the right side of the pitch when given a free role.
This allows him to cut in from wide areas and ripple the netting with impeccable curling efforts. He also regularly uses his left foot to pick out his teammates with unmatched efficiency.
Messi, who left for PSG in the summer of 2021, currently holds the record for most appearances for FC Barcelona. In 778 games across all competitions, he scored 672 goals and provided 288 assists.
Over the course of his Barcelona career, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner won 10 La Ligas and four Champions League titles amongst other major honors.
