5 greatest Barcelona strikers of the modern era
No team is complete without a top striker who can convert all the chances created into goals on a regular basis. Modern football has evolved a lot but a striker who can rise above the rest or sniff out opportunities remains as important as ever. Barcelona have been been able to field some of the finest strikers of all time.
Though the lion's share of their goals in the 21st century have been scored by a certain Lionel Messi, Barcelona have had their share of great strikers as well. Thanks to their legacy, Barcelona have consistently been able to lure some of the best strikers in the world to the Camp Nou.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the greatest strikers to have played for Barcelona in the modern era.
#5 Romario (Barcelona 1993-1995)
Romario played for Barcelona for only two years. He joined Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team' in 1993 and played alongside Hristov Stoichkov, Pep Guardiola, Michael Laudrup and Ronald Koeman.
Romario was an instant hit, scoring 30 goals from 33 matches in the league to help Barcelona lift the La Liga title. The team were so good that it translated to arrogance on the pitch and led to an anticlimactic loss in the 1994 UEFA Champions League final at the hands of AC Milan.
Though he was only with the Blaugrana for a couple of seasons, there are fond memories of his that the fans will forever hold on to. He once nutmegged Peter Schmeichel at Old Trafford before scoring a Champions League goal after which the then Manchester United captain Steve Bruce hailed Romario as arguably the best player he has ever faced.
He has also scored a hattrick against Real Madrid in an El Clasico at the Camp Nou. Romario earned the FIFA World Player of the Year Award in 1994. He scored a total of 53 goals from 83 games for Barcelona and unfortunately left the club in 1995 after falling out with none other than Johan Cruyff.
#4 Ronaldo Nazario (Barcelona 1996-1997)
Having just played one season at Barcelona, it could be argued that the legendary Brazilian does not deserve a place up here. For all the wonderful, eye-catching football they've played, Barcelona have only rarely played with out-and-out strikers who can mesmerize the opposition and fans alike as O Fenomeno could.
Ronaldo joined Barcelona in 1996 for a then world-record fee of $19.5 million. He hit the ground running and immediately became a nightmare for La Liga defenders. It was nearly impossible to dispossess Ronaldo.
He had all the attributes that a striker needed- he was pacy, had unreal close control, always kept his head in the box and almost always got around the goalkeeper to poke the ball into the back of the net.
His goalscoring return in that season is the stuff of legends having garnered 47 goals from 49 games. He led Barcelona to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in addition to Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana triumphs. He was all of 20 years of age at the time and became the youngest player to win the FIFA World Player of the Year title.