Top 5 foreign players to play for FC Barcelona

With the likes of Guardiola, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol and many more to the list, Barcelona are known for producing top-notch talent from its own soil. However, there are a handful of names from abroad which have made an everlasting mark in the hearts of the Catalans and will remain the greatest foreigners the club has ever seen.

#5 Rivaldo

The Brazilian enjoyed a successful 5-year spell at the Camp Nou, scoring 130 goals in 235 appearances in all competitions. Rivaldo was primarily deployed as a left winger and rarely behind the striker yet the Brazilian was comfortable with the latter. He tasted immediate success, winning the La Liga & Copa del Rey double in his first season at Barcelona and his prime form came in 1999, when he led Barcelona to another La Liga title, finishing the season with 24 goals in the Liga. Rivaldo got his hands on more silverware the same year as he won both the ‘FIFA World Player of the year’ & the ‘Ballon d’Or’.

The Brazilian was a real match big player and rose to the occasion when the team needed him to. Few of the best examples include the breath-taking comeback against Chelsea overturning a 3-1 lead by winning the 2nd leg 5-1 at the Camp Nou scoring a brace to go through to the Semi-finals. The unforgettable bicycle kick against Valencia to win the game 3-2 and gain entry into the Champions League of the following year is another such instance.

Undoubtedly, Rivaldo has contributed largely to the club’s history and is one of the greatest foreigners to step-foot in a Barcelona shirt.

#4 Johan Cruyff

No, he's not Luka Modric. The name is Johan Cruyff.

He has arguably made the most significant contribution to the Catalans, especially during his second spell as a manager at Barcelona. The Dutchman was deployed as a center forward but played a role similar to reigning superstar, Lionel Messi. He would drop deep, move to the wings and make blistering runs and always had the defenders thinking. The greatest quality of Cruyff was his vision and the ability to pick his man out and was called “Pythagoras in boots” for his angled passes.

As a player, the Dutchman had a 5-year spell at the Camp Nou and did not enjoy the same quantum of glory as at Ajax. But his second spell marked a new era for the Catalans as they won the La Liga for 4 consecutive years, Copa del Rey thrice & their 1st ever UEFA Champions League under his management. The Dutchman is the inventor of ‘Total Football’ or widely known as the ‘Tiki-Taka’ which basically is a style of play based on making your way to the back of the net through short-passing & swift movement off the ball.

This system has brought humungous success for Barcelona who have by far, deployed it to perfection. Hence, the Cruyff Era is arguably the best in the club’s history and the immortality of the 3-time Ballon d’Or winner in the Catalan hearts is of no surprise.

#3 Hristo Stoichkov

Hristo was an integral part of the then-manager Johan Cruyff’s dream team, which is considered as one of the best eras in the history of the Catalan Giants. The Bulgarian was deployed on the left flank and was best known for his explosive acceleration and accurate crossing. Despite playing wide out on the wings, the goals had come in abundance with 109 goals in 212 appearances. Having won the first ever UEFA Champions League for the Blaugranas and the La Liga for 4 consecutive years, Hristo had become a fan favorite and was considered an idol for the Camp Nou crowd.

His blistering form extended to the national fronts, as he solely carried Bulgaria on his shoulders all the way to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 1994 and finished the tournament as the top scorer with 6 goals to his tally.

Owing to an impressive run of form & consistency, he won the Ballon D’or the same year, which was an icing on the cake to one of the most decorated careers in the history of Barcelona.

#2 Ronaldinho Gacho

Another Brazilian to the list and this man is the sole reason for Barcelona or even football to have obtained a wider reach over the years and is arguably the most skillful player of his generation. Ronaldinho provided a unique mixture of goals, assists, key passes with 94 goals & 81 assists to his tally in 207 appearances and his trademark Elastico move, which spared no one from demanding applause, is worth a mention. He was best known for his sublime dribbling and his ability to create chances from anywhere on the field.

The Brazilian’s move to the Camp Nou from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2003-04 caused an immediate change of fortunes for the Catalans as the Brazilian carried the team on his shoulders with contributions from Eto’o, Xavi & Deco to win the La Liga, Copa del Rey & UEFA Champions League during his 5-year spell at Barcelona.

Ronaldinho’s golden run was sufficiently rewarded as he won the Ballon d’Or in 2004 and the ‘FIFA World Player of the year’ twice in 2004 & 2005 respectively, making his a complete career with all laudable achievements under his belt.

The standing ovation from Santiago Bernabeu for Ronaldinho where he dismantled Real Madrid in a 0-3 win, defines the Brazilian’s stature, who is not only a legend of Barcelona but of the sport itself.

#1 Lionel Messi

There are very few occasions in which the Argentine finishes behind anyone and this list is no exception. Undoubtedly the best ever footballer to step-foot in Barca colors in the history of this club. The era has been unstoppable ever since his debut in 2004.

Messi evolved into a key player for Barca by the time he was still in his teens. The breakthrough season was 2007-08 where he netted an El Clasico hat trick in a 3-3 draw and there were experts who already believed he was one of the best in the world but finished third in Ballon d’Or behind Kaka & Ronaldo.

When Ronaldinho left the Catalans, the no.10 had come to his heir and the Argentine’s progress had gone to a new high in the treble-winning season under Pep Guardiola; scoring 38 goals in 51 appearances. The gameplay of the Blaugranas has revolved around him & Messi has been the crux ever since.

The little magician has won all possible competitions right from the Supercopa to the prestigious UEFA Champions League, all more than once and it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that Barca wouldn’t have achieved half of the glory in the Guardiola era but for the Argentine.

371 goals, 25 hat tricks, 4 Ballon d’Ors, 19 trophies with Barcelona, surpassed Paulinho Alcantara as the highest goal-scorer ever for Barcelona and becoming the all-time top scorer of El Clasicos, La Liga & the Champions League. When you see the quantum of success & glory this man has achieved at a mere 26 years of age, why would you think becoming the best ever to play the game is beyond reach?