Ranking the 10 Best Barcelona Strikers Of All Time

Barcelona is widely hailed as one of the greatest clubs of all time, with a rich club history that includes 27 La Liga trophies and 5 Champions League trophies, among numerous other honours. They are not only one of the biggest clubs in Spain but in the world as well. The Blaugrana have dominated world football in phases and are also the only club to have won the treble twice. While their history is immense, the Catalans have also been incredible in modern football. They have used their famed La Masia academy and produced footballers like Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and many more.

Barca has generally had a playing style that encompasses dominating possession and playing entertaining football. This has seen some of the best attackers in the world play for the legendary. They have also had some of the best strikers don the shirt. So, let’s take a look at the top 10 strikers in Barcelona history:

List of Barcelona Best Strikers of All Time

There have been plenty of big footballing names to have played for one of the biggest football clubs in the world, Barcelona, throughout its rich history. But only a few world-class strikers managed to impress here, considering the pressure and expectations. Let's find out who the top 10 strikers in Barcelona history are.

How We Ranked the Best Barcelona Strikers of All Time?

Influence: No matter which era we talk about, strikers have always played a pivotal role in a team’s success. Their performances during crucial games or clutch moments define their legacy and influence.

Goal-scoring Prowess: How many goals a striker has scored during a campaign has always been a debate while judging and deciding the rankings of the players. How consistently has the striker been scoring goals for his team?

Longevity: There have been thousands of players come and gone, yet only those who have the qualities of becoming elite players leave a lasting impression that tends to linger even after decades.

Note: These stats were taken from trusted sources like Transfermarkt.

Who are Barcelona Best Strikers of All Time?

Now that we have taken a look at our ranking parameters, which were considered while compiling this list of the best Barcelona strikers of all time. Now it's time to dive into and look at their career at Barcelona.

10. Mariano Martin (Spain)

Mariano Martin was known for his goal-scoring prowess with Barcelona. He had joined the club from CD San Andres in 1940. In his eight-year stay with the Catalan giants, he had scored 188 goals in just 167 games. He also won one league title and one Spanish Cup during his time with the Blaugrana. Martin eventually moved to Tarragona in 1948 before eventually retiring at his boyhood club, CD San Andres, in 1951.

9. Cesar Rodriguez Alvarez (Spain)

The Spanish striker joined Barcelona in 1939 and was with them until 1955. He managed to score a staggering 294 goals in 433 games for them, winning five La Liga titles and three Copa del Reys, among other honours. Alvarez also had two loan spells at CS Sabadell and Granada before moving to Espana Industria.

8. Enrique Castro (Spain)

Enrique Castro, also known as ‘Quini’, joined the Blaugrana from Sporting Gijon in 1980. During his four-year stay at the club, during his spell, he scored 101 goals in 178 games across competitions. He helped them to win two Copa del Reys titles, among other honours, before eventually returning to Sporting Gijon in the year 1984.

7. Romario(Brazil)

The Brazilian icon had spent less than two years at Barcelona, far less than any other names on the list except Ronaldo Nazario, after joining the Blaugrana from PSV Eindhoven in 1993. The Brazilian goal-scoring machine made a name for himself, as fans regard him as one of the best strikers in football history. During his short spell, he scored 39 goals and provided 15 assists in just 65 games for the club across all competitions and helped them win a La Liga title. Romario eventually moved to Brazilian side Flamengo in January 1995.

6. Ronaldo Nazario (Brazil)

Regarded by many as the best striker of all time, Ronaldo Nazario joined the Spanish giants from PSV Eindhoven in 1996 and spent just one year at the club. During that time, he scored 47 goals and provided 13 assists in just 49 games. Ronaldo won the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de España with the club before joining Inter Milan in 1997. He returned to Spain five years later, but this time with Barca’s arch-rivals Real Madrid, where he had huge success. Having played for two of the biggest Spanish football teams, he was still respected and adored by the fans.

5. Patrick Kluivert (Netherlands)

The Blaugrana signed Patrick Kluivert from AC Milan in 1998. The former Dutch international striker scored 122 goals and provided 61 assists in 257 games for the club, but could only inspire them to one La Liga title. Kluivert eventually left the Spanish giants in 2004 to join the English side Newcastle United. He played for a few other clubs before officially retiring in 2008.

4. Thierry Henry (France)

Often regarded as one of the best Premier League players, Thierry Henry moved to La Liga in 2007, looking for a new challenge and to win the elusive UEFA Champions League trophy. He spent three years at Barcelona, scoring 49 goals and providing 27 assists in 121 games for the club, winning the Champions League in the 2008-09 season. Henry also won two La Liga trophies, among other honours, before joining MLS side New York Red Bulls in 2010. Though his prime years were at Arsenal, the Frenchman was a class apart from the Catalan giants.

3. David Villa (Spain)

One of Spain’s greatest strikers, David Villa, arrived at Camp Nou from Valencia in 2010. While he stayed for just three years at the club, his impact was brilliant. He made 119 appearances, scoring 48 goals and providing 24 assists across competitions. Villa helped Barca win two La Liga titles, one Champions League trophy, and one Copa del Rey, among other honours. He eventually joined Atletico Madrid in 2013. His time at Camp Nou is widely remembered as the peak of his career, thanks to his prolific spells.

2. Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)

Samuel Eto’o was a Barcelona icon. He arrived from RCD Mallorca in 2004 and made 199 appearances for them, contributing 130 goals and providing 40 assists. During his five-year stay at the club, Eto’o won three La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies, among numerous other honours. He helped them win the treble in the 2008-09 season, which also turned out to be his final season at the club. Later, He moved to Inter Milan and played for multiple other clubs before eventually retiring in 2019.

1. Luis Suarez (Uruguay)

Widely regarded as one of the best Liverpool players ever, Luis Suarez had a sensational spell in the English Premier League but failed to win any trophies. He then moved to Barcelona in 2014 and won four La Liga titles and one Champions League trophy, among numerous other honours. Suarez scored 195 goals and provided 113 assists in 283 games for the Blaugrana. He formed a lethal partnership with Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. and helped the club win the treble in the 2014-15 season. The Uruguayan moved to Atletico Madrid in 2020 and currently plies his trade at Inter Miami with the likes of former Barca stars Messi, Sergio Busquets, and more.