Xavi Hernandez was one of the greatest midfielders of the 21st Century and unarguably one of the greatest midfielders ever. He has had a stellar career. The player now turned manager has gone to his boyhood club to revive it’s prestige and pedigree and bring them back to challenging for stuff. Xavi won everything there was to win as a player. He won everything at a club level and at an international level as well. With two Euro trophies and one World Cup. He was a major part of the two of the greatest teams ever assembled. In Barcelona and in the Spanish side of 08-12. He was the master and he controlled everything on the pitch. They say the way he played made it look like he had eyes on the back as well. Everything went through Xavi. One of the sharpest minds to ever grace the pitch. And, now he wants to taste the same success as a manager. Xavi’s estimated net worth currently is $43,500,000. His estimated salary at Barca is at a $9,465,000. His contract runs through till 2024.
Xavi’s playing career salary
The Spaniard’s salary at Barca once touched an excess of $13 Million. His reported salary as a player at Al Sadd was $10.5Million. Which saw a hike after he was appointed as the manager of the club.
Apart from these, Xavi earned his money through several endorsements. He was a role model for players so it was always easy getting big brand deals. Furthermore,He was named the brand ambassador of Audi Qatar, the Qatari division of the German car manufacturer. The decorated ex-Barcelona superstar also maintains a sponsorship deal with Adidas, previously starring in numerous adverts with the likes of Robin Van Persie, Luis Suarez and Leo Messi.
Xavi
Xavi’s charity work:
Xavi does some charity work. And, he is involved in making the world a better place ever since his playing days. He has helped the Red Cross foundation and several others. And, When Xavi was awarded a cheque of €100,000 by UEFA after being named captain of the UEFA.com users’ Team of the Year in 2011, he donated the money to the ICRC for the Red Cross’ physical rehabilitation program in Afghanistan.
Xavi’s Car collection
Xavi owns a few lavish cars. Mainly which are an Audi Q5, Q7, MBW S6, Range Rover, Ferrari F430, Ford. He did not need to even purchase the Audis’ as he is the brand ambassador. His fastest in the collection is his Ferrari F430. The car has a reported top speed of 200 Miles.
There isn’t much information about Xavi’s house. As, the great man likes to keep his life low-key. All we know is that he has a big beautiful house just outside of Barcelona and another house in Terrassa, Spain.
Xavi
Xavi achieved everything with F.C Barcelona as a player. And now wants to get them back on their perch as a manager. And, engraving the famous Tiki-Taka and bringing it back to Camp Nou.
He has done a good job so far as they sit second in the league table. Although they were knocked out of the Europa league. And they are going trophyless this season. But, the signs of improvement are there and the core is very young. The results will be evident in Europe soon, and it will not be a long time before he brings a trophy back to the club. Xavi is a certified legend of the game.
You can read more about his trophy haul and statistics on the official F.C Barcelona website.
One of the biggest clubs in the history of the game. The greatest of history and legacies. With several once-in-a-lifetime players. The Spanish giants Futbol Club Barcelona. F.C.B was founded in 1899. Across its 122 years of existence, the club has seen some legends of the game. And as a result, has seen huge amounts of success. The Catalan club has won a record number of Copa Del Rey’s, 5 Champions League, and the second-most league titles in Spain (behind Real Madrid). Although, the club has seen a fall from grace in the past few years. Owing to the problems on the field and off the field. Barca went into a financial turmoil under previous leadership. As a result, they have been suffering currently, and owing to the shambles of a wage structure and sizeable debt, they had to let go of Lionel Messi. Barcelona are currently on the rise again under Xavi. As we know, you can’t keep a giant like Barcelona sleeping for long. On that note, here are the Top 10 Greatest Barcelona Players of All Time.
10. Luis Suarez
61 Goals (114 Appearances)
Not to be mistaken with the other Luis Suarez, who also played for Barcelona. Suarez was a Spanish midfielder. And is widely regarded as the greatest Spanish player of all time. To this date, he is the only Spanish player to win the Ballon D’or. And was the first Barcelona player to do so. Luis scored over 60 goals for the great club. Suarez was a key figure in their domestic double in 1959 and fell just short of European glory as they lost the final to Benfica in 1961. The Spanish great ranks 10th on this list of the Top 10 Greatest Barcelona players of all time.
Sergio Busquets
9. Sergio Busquets
16 Goals (670* Appearances)
“Underrated” “Underappreciated” are the sort of words you would associate with the Spaniard. Busquets doesn’t have the plaudits the other two of his midfield partners, Xavi and Iniesta, received, but Sergio was just as important to the team’s success as the other two were. One of the greatest CDM’s the game has ever seen. Sergio has won every trophy at the club level with the Catalans. Furthermore, he has won the World Cup and the Euros with Spain. He was an integral part of one of the greatest club team’s ever assembled, and one of the greatest National team’s ever assembled. You don’t walk into those teams’ if you are not ‘World Class’. As a result, he ranks 9th in the top 10 Greatest Barcelona players of all-time list.
8. Ronald Koeman
106 Goals (350 Appearances)
A goal tally that would put forwards to shame. Ronald Koeman was an integral part of the 90’s Barca dream team. The team that won their first European cup. It was his goal that won Barca their first European title and as a result, secured his legendary status at the club. He was a “sweeper” defender. Would just stay in front of the defense and clear every threat. The masterful Dutch was quite good at it as well. He was a great threat at set pieces. He was a great Penalty tacker and a great Free Kick taker as well. ‘Tin-tin’ Koeman has scored 60 Free Kicks for club and country, to put that into perspective, that is more than what Cristiano and Messi have scored throughout their careers. He also tried as a manager for the club, but that didn’t work out well for him. But, his managerial stint at the club doesn’t tarnish his legacy as a Barca legend and a great of the game.
Luis Suarez’s trademark celebration
7. Luis Suarez
210 Goals (300 Appearances).
‘El Pistolero’ is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the greatest strikers this game has ever seen. His time at Barcelona was phenomenal, to say the least. A testament to his skill and ability is that he won a golden boot during the Cristiano and Messi era. As lethal as he is in front of the goal, he is a great passer as well as a great space creator for others to benefit from. Luis Suarez is as complete a striker as you can get. Wonder goals, tap-ins, solo goals, dribbling, passing, you name the attribute you want out of a striker, and it is a guarantee that Suarez possessed that. Suarez is the third top scorer in Barca’s rich history. And on top of that, he is also the second-highest assist maker of all time. In his prime, Luis was an absolute joy to watch. He is 34 now, and as a result, he is not the same player anymore and has slowed down a bit. But, nevertheless, he is still balling in La Liga with Atletico de Madrid.
6. Ladislao Kubala
281 Goals (357 Appearances)
His story is something straight out of a movie. In 1949 Kubala fled socialist Hungary in the back of a truck. In May 1949, he agreed to play for Torino but pulled out due to a family emergency, which in turn saved his life as the plane crashed on its way back from Lisbon, killing everyone inside it. Laszlo was the first ‘megastar’ that Barca had. And they needed that to combat against Real Madrid’s Alfredo di Stefano. He brought a magical time at the club. With him, the team won absolutely everything there was to win in 1951 season. He was an entertainer. He attracted crowds. When he played suddenly, the 60,000 seats weren’t enough. And, so they began the construction of the 93,000 seater Camp Nou. As a tribute to the great, there is Bronze statue erected outside the stadium.
Ronaldinho smiling
5. Ronaldinho
110 Goals (250 Appearances)
Football became blessed when Ronaldinho started playing it. He always had a smile on his face. He is the greatest entertainer in the history of the game. The man with virtually zero haters across the globe. He was so good, he once received a standing ovation from the Bernabeu crowd. When Dinho was on the ball, you just had to sit back and enjoy the ride. The man that kickstarted the new Barca era. The biggest piece in the project. Ronaldinho has practically won everything there is to win in football. Scorer of some great goals, a genuine genius of the sport. There aren’t enough words to describe how mesmerizing Ronaldinho was. He won Barca their second Champions League. And he won a Ballon D’or in 2005, as a result cementing his legendary status in the sport. Ronaldinho ranks 5th on this list of Top 10 Barcelona players of all time.
4. Johan Cruyff
86 Goals (231 Appearances)
One of the greatest players of all time. Johan Cruyff put Barcelona on the world map. Football would never be the same after Johan Cruyff. Cruyff revolutionized modern football. The man that introduced ‘Total Football’, which would hone how football will be played for generations to come. To this day, Cruyff’s ideals are what governs the managerial aspect of the game. He is the one that made Pep Guardiola who he is today. Johan won three Ballon D’or throughout his stellar career.
Iniesta and Xavi
3. Andres Iniesta
66 Goals (758 Appearances)
Andres Iniesta is one of the greatest midfielders of this generation. The magician was an absolute joy to watch on the ball. He glided on the pitch and went past players as it they weren’t there. And, he had perfected the weight of the pass. He was an absolute joy to watch on the ball. A big-game player if there ever was one. He scored in Spain’s victory against Netherlands in the final to give his country their first-ever world cup. He is currently playing in the Japanese league. Iniesta has a street named after him and a statue of his World Cup-winning goal in his hometown.
2. Xavi Hernandez
97 Goals (869 Appearances)
Xavi Hernandez read the game like no one else. He saw the pass before anyone else did. He and Iniesta formed the greatest midfield partnership of all time. The game ran through him. He was a master of the art of ‘scanning’ a pitch. Which meant knowing the positions of your players and the oppositions’ and where the space would be empty. The record appearance holder for the club. Xavi Hernandez was a brilliant football player and a genius by the definition of the word. The man won everything in a Barcelona shirt and also in a Spanish shirt. And he is currently managing Barca. Under his management, Barca are looking at a new dawn and, as a result, a brighter future for the club.
Messi’s celebration after PSG comeback
1. Lionel Messi
672 Goals (778 Appearances)
No surprises, who is on the top of the list of the top 10 greatest Barcelona Players of All time: Lionel Andres Messi. The man who is widely considered as the Greatest Player of All Time. The magician is an absolute joy to watch. Messi is the record goal scorer for the club, for La Liga, for Argentina in El Clasico’s, etc. etc., etc. Covering Messi’s records would take up all week. The man is too good. Leo has won everything there is to win at the club with Barcelona. Two trebles with the club. And a record 7 Ballon D’ors And, he finally won the thing which eluded him the most in his career, an international trophy. As he won a Copa America with Argentina this year. Hence, cementing his place in the Argentinian history books as well. Due to the financial aspects of the game, he had to forcibly leave the club this season. It is going to be a very, very sad day when Lionel Messi announces his retirement from the beautiful game. So, enjoy him as long as you all can.
The greatest rivalry in the history of the beautiful game. Real Madrid vs F.C. Barcelona AKA The El Clasico. The rivalry of two of the biggest clubs in the history of football. Certainly, the biggest clubs in Spain. It is often the most anticipated and most viewed fixture in club football. Two clubs with the biggest of legacies and the biggest of legends the game has ever seen all over the pitch, makes it a spectacle you wouldn’t want to keep your eyes away from even for a second. The games can get a bit ugly, fights would break between the sets of players due to the intense rivalry. But, no matter what happens, this fixture comes with a full-fledge guarantee of entertainment.
Real Madrid is currently ahead with 100 Wins, followed closely by Barca at 97. While over the past three years, this fixture has dropped a bit in quality due to the departures of some greats in Cristiano Ronaldo, followed by Luis Suarez, Ramos, and then most recently Lionel Messi, it still is one of the most-watched games of club football season. Now, here is the list of our top 10 El Clasico’s of All Time.
10. Real Madrid 4-2 Barcelona (10 April 2005)
The win that helped Real secure the first La Liga title of their Galactico era. A star-studded Real Madrid with the likes of Ronaldo de Lima, Beckham, Raul, Owen, Zidane, and Roberto Carlos dominated a Barca that featured a young Andres Iniesta, Samuel Eto, Xavi, and the magician Ronaldinho. Zidane opened the scoring through a header in the 6th minute, and then Ronaldo scored to make it 2-0. It looked like there was no way back then Eto brought one back through a brilliant solo goal. Raul and Owen scored in the second half to put it past Barcelona’s reach. Ronaldinho stole the show with a magnificent Free Kick in the 73rd minute to make it 4-2. This classic and breathtaking Clasico makes 10th on this list of top 10 El Clasico’s of all time.
9. Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid (21 April 2012)
When Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona met Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, everyone just knew they were in for a treat. Icons of the game on either side of the pitch. Ballers wherever you looked. That season Real Madrid under Jose was an unstoppable counter-attacking machine. That team hit an unprecedented 100 points in the league that season. Pep’s Barcelona consisting of Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Dani Alves, Busquets, and prime Lionel Messi facing Mourinho’s Real that had a strike force of Ozil, Benzema, Angel di Maria led by a Cristiano Ronaldo in his prime. The game promised to be a great spectacle, and boy, did it deliver. The game began with chances at both ends, with Khedira opening the scoring after kicking home a rebound. The game went on with both sets of players creating half-chances at both ends. Alexis Sanchez finally equalized for Barca with a scrappy goal sending the home crowd into ecstasy. Their joy was soon deflated when Cristiano Ronaldo slotted home a brilliant finish to an exquisite through ball by Mesut and hitting the home supporters with the famous ‘Calma’ celebration.
Ronaldo’s famous ‘Calma’ celebration
8. Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid (29 November 2010)
The biggest Clasico win in Barca’s history. A scoreline that describes utter domination. One of the most unexpected games ever played in this famous fixture. When the line-ups were announced, the general consensus was that this game would also be a nail-biter, will be a classic. As it turned out, it was a classic, just not what everyone thought and certainly not what the Madrid fans would’ve hoped for. Although Messi didn’t score in that game, he was unplayable that game. He provided two assists for Catalans. Xavi opened the scoring, and then Pedro scored the second to end a 25-pass move. El Clasico wouldn’t be an El Clasico without a fight breaking down between the players. Ronaldo pushed their manager Pep, and that enraged the Barca side erupting a fight between the players. The second half was a total onslaught by Barca, they scored three in that half to put Real Madrid out of sight and out of mind. A night the Culers will never forget.
7. Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid ( 14 August 2017)
Barcelona invited Real Madrid to Camp Nou for the Supercopa de Espana. The game began with chances at both ends, with the first half stayed level at 0-0. Five minutes into the second half, the UCL holders take the lead through a Pique own goal. Messi leveled the scoring in the 77th minute by slotting home a penalty given against Navas by a foul on Suarez. The score didn’t stay level for too long, though, when Cristiano Ronaldo scored a wonder goal, flooring Pique and curling it into the top corner in the 80th minute. He celebrated that by removing his shirt to enrage the home supporters. He then got a red card in the 83rd minute, making the match tougher for Real. But, Marco Asensio came in clutch by sending home a thunderous strike in the 90th minute to end the game 1-3 in the favour of Madrid.
Ronaldo shirtless celebration
6. Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona (16 April 2014)
Before the game, Barcelona were favorite to win the game due to the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was suffering from an injury. But Gareth Bale had other plans. Angel Di Maria opened the scoring at the end of a fiercely quick and an exquisite counterattack. The first half saw plenty of chances for either side, and Bale had himself a goal disallowed. Barcelona equalized through a Batra header in the second half. In the 85th minute, Gareth Bale switched on his engine and went on a run to slot home a brilliant solo goal and win Real Madrid the Copa Del Rey.
5. Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona ( 27th April 2011)
A champions league semi-final first leg match between Real Madrid and Barcelona, there isn’t anything bigger that club football can promise you. Another Jose vs Pep classic encounter. Jose’s tactics to frustrate Pep didn’t work out for him on this occasion. Lionel Messi had different plans to those of Jose’s. Pepe got sent off in the 61st minute, making it a colossal task for the men in the royal white to keep a clean sheet. Messi opened the scoring in the 77th minute. But, his second goal is the one that is known throughout the world. Messi tore apart the Madrid defense skipping past 4 players to score his second. And, who can forget Peter Drury’s iconic commentary to it, “Away from two, three, four wonderful wonderful wonderful.” An aggregate advantage of 3-1 sent Barcelona in the finals.
4. Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid ( 7 October 2012)
If an example was to be given of a perfect Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo encounter, then this game would be the top contender. The two of the greatest ever and the greatest of our generation going head to head always resulted in a beautiful spectacle. Ronaldo opened the scoring by firing home a thunderbolt from his weak foot past Valdes. Messi equalized after Pepe miscued his clearance, and Messi fired home a simple finish. Messi scored a scintillating free kick in the second half to put Barca ahead. And not a long time after, Cristiano finishes his second to draw the game level through a Mesut assist. A pure exhibition of football.
Messi and Ronaldo shaking hands
3. Barcelona 3-3 Real Madrid ( 10 March 2007)
The game that announced the arrival of the great Lionel Messi to the world. A game that had stars all over the pitch. But, the headlines were stolen by a 19-year-old from Argentina. Ruud Van Nistelrooy opened the scoring for Real, Messi sent home the equalizer soon, although. Nistelrooy slotted home his penalty to give the visitors the lead. Messi equalized it again to cancel out the pen. Ramos scored to give Real the lead again. When it looked like Real were gonna win this one, Messi popped up again and sent home a brilliant goal in the 92nd minute to send the crowd into ecstasy, and the game ended at an astonishing 3-3.
2. Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona ( 23 April 2017)
Another game where Messi haunted the Bernabeu crowd. It was a pretty equal game until Casemiro tapped in an open goal to give Real the lead. Messi then scored as beautiful goal to level the game. Rakitic scored in the second half to give Barca the lead. But Rodriguez scored in the 85th minute to equalize it for Real, and they thought that was the end of it. But, Leo Messi had different plans. He sent home a brilliant finish through his magical left foot in the dying minutes of the game to give Barca the lead and then removing his jersey and showing it to the Bernabeu folk. One of the most iconic celebrations ever in an El Clasico.
Messi celebration against Real Madrid
1. Real Madrid 3-4 Barcelona ( 23 March 2014)
It was an easy choice for the number 1 pick. This game had everything: Red Cards, Penalties, Hattrick. Iniesta opened the scoring by a Messi through ball. Benzema headed home the equalizer to tie the game for a while. Benzema scored soon again to give Carlo Ancelotti’s men the lead. Messi popped up to score his first and tie the game. Ronaldo slotted home the penalty to put Real in front. Ramos then brought Neymar down in the box and got himself sent off. Messi slotted that pen past Casillas to level the game at 3-3. Iniesta won Barca another penalty, and the main man sent that pen in the net as well to win the game for the Catalans.
