Over 45 years of continuous improvement has transformed
La Masia into one of the greatest football academies in the world. Here are the
best players to come out of the Barcelona academy.
Xavi
Hernandez
Xavi is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders
from the 2000s-2010s to grace the football pitch. The Spaniard joined La Masia
at the age of 11 and worked his way through the ranks, graduating to the first
team in 1998.
During his 18 years at the club, Xavi went on to play 767
official matches, a former club record before a certain Lionel Messi took that
title from him. Xavi excelled under the leadership of Pep Guardiola and was
part of what’s widely regarded as one of the best midfield trios of all time,
with Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.
Xavi won La Liga an astonishing eight times, as well as the
Champions League four times and the Copa del Rey three times. He also famously won
the World Cup with Spain in 2010.
He later became Barcelona manager, winning one league title and
the Supercopa de Espana.
Lamine
Yamal
Lamine Yamal’s recent rise to stardom has been nothing short
of spectacular, bursting onto the scene for the Spanish International Team in
2023 at the age of 16 years and 50 days, making him the youngest player to ever
play for Spain.
Now, at the age of 18, Yamal already has over 85 appearances
for Barcelona and has scored 20 goals for the club. In the summer of 2024, at
16 years of age, he played a pivotal role in Spain’s Euro triumph, providing
four assists, the most in the tournament, including one in the final, one day
after his 18th birthday.
Lamine Yamal is tipped to be one of the greatest players
that Barcelona has ever seen, with many comparing him to the great Lionel Messi
due to his similar playstyle of taking players on and his wand of a left foot.
Lionel
Messi
This man needs no introduction; Lionel Messi is the practically
undisputed best player to come out of La Masia and one of the greatest players
the world has ever seen.
Messi joined La Masia in 2000 at the age of 13 and the rest
is history. After four years of shining in the academy, the Argentine was
promoted to the first team. During his 17 years in the first team, Messi scored
a mouth watering 474 goals in 520 games for Barcelona, winning ten La Liga
titles, four Champions Leagues and seven Copa del Reys. Messi also won seven
Ballon d’Ors whilst at Barcelona, adding an eighth in 2023 after winning the
World Cup.
Messi also broke the record for the most goals scored in a
calendar year when, in 2012, he netted an outstanding 91 goals for club and
country. The only comparable player to him in that era was, of course, Cristiano
Ronaldo.
Do you see now why La Masia is one of the greatest academies
in the world?
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