Ranking the 5 greatest players to wear the #10 jersey at Barcelona
The iconic #10 jersey at Barcelona has been worn by many a fine player to have graced the game over the years.
The jersey number is predominantly worn by a team's playmaker, who usually happens to be the best player in the team. Unsurprisingly, that also holds true for an iconic club like Barcelona - the most successful team (in terms of titles) in Europe's top five leagues.
The topic has gained traction since club legend Lionel Messi exited Barcelona this summer. He scored a plethora of goals and won multiple titles while wearing the #10 jersey. Considering Messi's stellar contributions to the club, it was thought the Blaugrana would retire his jersey.
But owing to La Liga rules, that would have meant Barcelona registering one fewer player on their roster. Eventually, the Blaugrana did not tread that route, and instead announced Ansu Fati as their newest #10.
Fati, 18, is one of the most exciting graduates, after Messi, to have come out of Barcelona's renowned La Masia academy, and is tipped for great things. On that note, here's a look five of the best Barcelona players to have worn the iconic #10 jersey:
#5 Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov was one of the most prolific scorers, especially during the 90s. The Bulgarian spent most of his club career at Barcelona, whom he joined in the summer of 1990.
Stoichkov was an integral component of Johan Cryuff's dream team that had the likes of Romario, Pep Guardiola, Ronald Koeman and Michael Laudrup, among others. The now 55-year-old, who only briefly wore the #10 at Barcelona, won a rich haul of titles that included five La Liga honours and the European Cup.
During a hugely successful eight-season stint at the club, Stoichkov scored 118 goals and provided 17 assists in over 250 games across competitions. The Bulgarian was primarily a winger, but was adept across many positions across the attacking third.
It was during his Barcelona stint that Stoichkov won the Golden Boot at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He also won the Ballon d'Or award that year.
Stoichkov later spoke about how a great performance against Barcelona led him to join the club, where he would reap enormous success:
"My arrival at FC Barcelona really began a year or so earlier. In April 1989, my club at the time, CSKA Sofia, met Barça in the semi final of the European Cup Winners Cup."
"I was lucky enough to score three goals in the tie - two at Camp Nou and one in Bulgaria - even though Barça made it through to the final in Berne, Switzerland. Surely enough, those three goals would have a great impact on my subsequent career as a footballer."
#4 Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona is widely regarded as one of the best players to have graced the game.
The diminutive Argentinian, who arrived at Barcelona in the summer of 1982, had a short but fairly successful stint at the club. Maradona scored 33 times and assisted 18 in his two-season stay at Barcelona, where he won the Spanish Cup in his first season and the Spanish Super Cup in the next.
Maradona became infamous for getting embroiled in an ugly 'free-for-all' fight with Athletic Bilbao in the 1983-84 Copa Del Rey final in front of the Spanish king. He was suspended for his role in the mass fracas. Maradona never served the suspension, though, as he left Barcelona for Napoli that summer.
Nevertheless, after his demise late last year, Barcelona paid a rich tribute to one of the most famous players to have graced their #10 jersey.
After leaving Camp Nou, Maradona went on to win the 1986 FIFA World Cup with Argentina and two league titles with Napoli before his off-the-field antics derailed his career.