Ranking the Top 5 Barcelona Players of the Last Decade

FC Barcelona have, in the last ten years, enjoyed one of the most successful periods in the club's 115-year history. Led by forward-thinking managers and a sworn-by philosophy, leading stars such as Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho have guided the Catalan giants to six La Liga titles and three Champions League wins—among a host of other trophies.

But while the likes of Pep Guardiola and the late Tito Vilanova have guided La Blaugrana from the touchline over the last decade, the club have been blessed with a generation of players who will go down as perhaps the greatest team to have ever played the game.

That's some statement, there's no doubt about that, but when men like Sir Alex Ferguson bestow such praise, it holds weight. In his 2013 autobiography, the former Manchester United manager delivered the ultimate compliment to a team that defeated him in both the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals: 

"

Barça was the best team ever to line up against my Manchester United sides. The group of world-beaters who formed around Messi were formidable. I felt no envy towards those great sides. Regrets yes, when we lost to them, but jealousy, no.

"

But a huge part of Barcelona's charm is considering where those 'world-beaters' came from, and how they found their way into the first team. A large percentage of the players still playing for the club today have come through the famed 'La Masia' youth set-up, and it shows that success—as well as brilliant players—can be developed instead of bought.

Read on to find out who have been ranked as the top five players to play for Barcelona over the last decade.

Ranking Criteria

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Before considering a list as difficult to compile as this one, parameters need to be set.

Barcelona have had a core group of players over the last ten years who have gone on to win countless trophies alongside each other, so players who have served for most of the term cannot be separated because of the collective success of the team.

That's not to say that longevity will not be an issue to consider, but matters such as influence over the club's direction, contribution to the club's formulated playing style, performance in big matches and overall decisiveness will be more central to the thought process.

Comparing a defender and a striker on goals scored is just not logical, so let's delve a little deeper than that.

Honourable Mentions

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Samuel Eto'o: While he is currently on the periphery of Everton's first team in the Premier League, Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o enjoyed the best years of his career at Barcelona.

Under Pep Guardiola, Eto'o was favoured as the club's central striker and scored 129 goals in 198 total appearances for the club, according to transfermarkt.co.uk. His contributions between 2004 and 2009 also earned him a number of individual honours, including the Pichichi (the Spanish league's top goalscorer award) in 2006.

Victor Valdes: Victor Valdes is somewhat unlucky that he came along in the same era as Real Madrid's Iker Casillas in the international stakes, but the goalkeeper spent 12 successful years in the Barcelona first team before leaving at the end of last season.

Valdes was the undisputed number one shot-stopper in the club's ranks for the duration of the last decade, and but for an exceptional list of outfield players ahead of him, he would have easily made this top five.

Daniel Alves: Daniel Alves joined Barcelona from league rivals Sevilla in 2008 and has been considered the best right back in the game for a number of years since. While he is now in the twilight of his career, Alves' speed, desire to attack and threat in the final third made him yet another star in this multitalented team.

Alves has to date picked up four La Liga titles, two Champions League crowns and two Copa del Rey trophies, though he is now likely in his final season at Camp Nou.

Carles Puyol

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Though not the most talented player to ever grace a football pitch, Carles Puyol's mental strength and desire to succeed made him the perfect man to captain Barcelona through all of their successes on the pitch.

Puyol is synonymous with Catalonia and has moved upstairs since retiring at the end of last season, with some incredible tributes paid to him by former players. One glowing reference came from long-term central defensive partner Gerard Pique, who labelled Puyol his 'guardian angel'.

He wrote on his Facebook page: 

"

You were my guardian angel.

The day has arrived. You are leaving. It’s the law of life, but it is tough for me to imagine Barça without you. If I look back and remember Paris or Rome, the first image that comes to my mind is you lifting the European Cup. You gave the honour of lifting the trophy in Wembley to Abi, which just makes you even greater. My generation and those that come after do not know what the club will be like without Puyi in defence branding the captain’s armband and the number 5 on the back of his shirt. I think that nothing will ever be the same.

I met you 6 years ago. You were the captain and the emblem of the team and I was just a kid arriving, set on conquering the world. From day one we had a great relationship, both on and off the field. By your side I felt protected and I knew that if one day I made a mistake you’d always be there to save me. You were my guardian angel.

I know that I will miss our talks in the locker room, your advice and especially you giving us hell on the pitch. You are unique; a one-off. I find it amusing when they talk about signing “the new Puyol”. They can look all they want, but they’ll never find it. 

Thanks for everything, Puyi.

"

Pique sums up the career of his former captain perfectly. Describing him as the 'captain and the emblem of the team' speaks volumes for a player who was a mentor for so many. Puyol was a perfect example that hard work, commitment and loyalty can bring success, appreciation and a stack of trophies.

Andres Iniesta

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Ranking fourth is Andres Iniesta; another player to come through the club's famed youth academy.

Iniesta has won it all for both club and country, playing alongside the likes of Carles Puyol before him and Xavi Hernandez, who you may find later on in this list. But at the age of 30, Iniesta is the youngest of the three and still has several years left in the tank. Though this year may be his last one alongside Xavi.

The pair have formed a midfield partnership made up of finesse, appetite and sheer quality, though Iniesta has always been the natural attacker of the two.

Iniesta has a knack of popping up at the right time with a goal—take his Champions League injury-time equaliser against Chelsea or his World Cup-winning strike for Spain as an example—and it is this adventure that differentiates these two nigh-on identical players.

But perhaps Iniesta's flexibility has worked against him in this instance. His deployment in a left-wing position down the years has slightly lessened his threat, and given the amount of time he has spent on the flank and not in his favoured central role, his impact hasn't always been maximised. 

But take nothing away from Andres Iniesta, he is yet another player who will always be considered in Barcelona's elite—no matter how far back in time we go.

Ronaldinho

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When Ronaldinho spurned the advances of Manchester United in 2003 in favour of a move to the Camp Nou, it would signal the beginning of Barcelona's era of dominance. The club were searching for a new golden boy after the days of Rivaldo and Luis Figo, and boy did they find him.

Ronaldinho was handed the No. 10 jersey by then manager Frank Rijkaard and went on to set the bar as high as any Barcelona player before him.

Of the five years he spent at Camp Nou, the Brazilian's selflessness and countless moments of brilliance elevated him to the status of the best player in the world, winning the FIFA World Player of the Year award in both 2004 and 2005. 

It's hard to dislike a player who always looks as though he's enjoying himself, and Ronaldinho was one of those men. But for all the magical goals—a certain strike against Chelsea in 2005 springs to mind—his finest hour came at the Santiago Bernabeu, the home of Real Madrid, in that same year. 

His two exhilarating efforts in a 3-0 win for Barcelona brought about the rarest of sights. A standing ovation from a home support who knew they were in the presence of greatness, but equally appreciated he donned the shirt of their most fierce of rivals.

Ronaldinho's years on top set him into number three on this list, but he fails to spring any higher because of his shorter Barcelona career span. There's a certain player who took Ronaldinho's mantle who is yet to appear...

Xavi

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This man is a completely different player to his former Brazilian team-mate, but shares a number of qualities with the player placed fourth on this list; Andres Iniesta. However, if choosing a name synonymous with the term 'tiki-taka' in modern footballing language, look no further than Xavi Hernandez.

Famed for his relentless passing skills and cool head, Xavi has been for so long the glue that holds the club together on the field; he has essentially been Barcelona's on-field manager, and absolutely imperative to the identity the club have created for themselves.

As a central midfielder considered one of the best of his generation, Xavi was—and still is now, though to a far lesser extent—the man to orchestrate attacks and find that pinpoint pass that nobody else can see.

Breaking into the team before good friend and midfield partner Iniesta, Xavi will also be the first of the pair to wave goodbye to the club's first team. The 25 trophies to Xavi's name make him the most decorated team player in Spanish football history, so it is hard to ignore the 34-year-old's position as one of Barcelona's greatest players of the last decade.

One cannot ignore the influence this man has held over his team's successes.

A move to America's MLS is said to be in the pipeline before the end of Xavi's playing days, but this Spanish genius will notch up over 700 appearances for his boyhood club before he departs.

Lionel Messi

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While they've boasted some of the finest players of this generation, one man stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Four-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has broken countless individual records. Indeed, his four consecutive Golden Ball wins in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 make him arguably the best individual to ever play the game. He even stands a chance of winning the award for a fifth time this month after being nominated on the latest three-man shortlist.

The Argentinian was recently crowned the all-time leading goalscorer in Spain's top division—breaking Telmo Zarra's 59-year-old record of 251 goals—while he is now the highest scorer in the history of the UEFA Champions League to boot. It's incredible to think the Barcelona magician managed to break both records in the same week, but even more remarkable when reminded that Messi is still just 27.

Messi heads the list as Barcelona's best player of the last decade because of his achievements—both individually and collectively—winning six La Liga titles, three Champions League winners' medals, two Copa del Rey crowns, two FIFA Club World Cups as well as a host of other honours since making his debut in 2004.

While he has undoubtedly been part of an incredibly successful team, Messi features ahead of Ronaldinho because of his outstanding goal record, ability to change big matches and longevity.