Ranking the 5 best Brazilians to have played for Barcelona
Barcelona are one of the biggest football clubs in the world and Brazil is one of the most dominant nations in the history of the sport. Whilst looking for top talent across the world, Barcelona have time and again scouted Brazilian players, found them to be great and given them the Blaugrana colours.
Barcelona have had plenty of Brazilian players on their payroll
From Faustos Dos Santos in the 1930s to Philippe Coutinho and Arthur Melo, the long-standing association between Barcelona and Brazil is still going strong. Some of the greatest footballers of all time have played for both Brazil and Barcelona.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best Brazilians to have played for Barcelona.
#5 Rivaldo
Rivaldo spent the early years of his senior career at various Brazilian clubs like Santa Cruz, Morgi Mirim, Corinthians and Palmeiras. But in 1996, he joined Deportivo La Coruna and had a breakout season in Spain. He scored 21 goals in the league and was the joint-fourth top scorer in La Liga in the 1996-97 season.
Barcelona swooped in for him in the summer of 1996 and signed him for $26 million. Rivaldo's performances inspired Barcelona to a domestic double as they won the La Liga title and the Copa Del Rey in his debut season. He was the league's highest goalscorer in 1998-99 with 24.
Rivaldo won the Ballon d'Or in 1999, beating Manchester United's David Beckham who had just won the continental treble with the Red Devils. That goes to show just how good Rivaldo was during that time.
The Brazilian international was technically gifted and was one of the most well-rounded players of his generation. His ball control was immaculate and his touches exquisite. Rivaldo was extremely agile and had an incredible shooting range as well.
He won two La Liga titles, one Copa Del Rey and one UEFA Cup with the Catalans. In 235 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona, Rivaldo scored 130 goals and provided 44 assists.
Rivaldo scored some brilliant goals for Barcelona. What a player! https://t.co/SBL39nGLCc
#4 Romario
Romario is one of the greatest strikers of all time. He was a sensational forward, who scored over 750 goals in his senior career and won an incredible number of titles along the way.
Romario is one of the players that sparked off the love affair between Barcelona and Brazil. He joined Barcelona in 1993 and became part of Johan Cruyff's Dream Team. Romario left two seasons later after falling out with Cruyff but had already left an indelible mark on the club's fabric.
Romario inspired Brazil to glory at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1994 after winning the World Cup with Brazil and the La Liga title with the Catalans. Romario was so good that he finished fifth in the FIFA Player of the Century poll in 1999.
Romario and Stoichkov Barcelona
Was there a better strike partnership in this era? https://t.co/5YHv6S9ONy