Best Barcelona Strikers: One of the homes of great strikers in football history is FC Barcelona. Camp Nou has seen over the years many wonderful players with great skill, vision, and goal-scoring talents who have described bits of the club.
Stars like Lionel Messi, who became the club’s all-time top scorer, Samuel Eto’o, Thierry Henry, and Luis Suárez, all came with something special. Romário, Ronaldo Nazário, and Hristo Stoichkov have also been at the top of Barcelona’s strikers and have guided the club to many domestic and international titles.
These players are a big part of Barcelona’s history and success, whether it be their brilliant dribbling, brilliant finishing, or excellence in big-time moments. But they are legends not only at Barcelona but across the football world.
Best Barcelona Strikers of all time
In this article, we talk about the Top 20 Best Barcelona Strikers of all time.
1. Lionel Messi
- Date of Birth: June 24, 1987
- Position: Forward (Winger/Striker)
- Career: 2000-2021
There is no doubt that Lionel Messi is the greatest Barcelona striker who has ever played for the Blaugrana.
Messi joined Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia when he was 13. He scored 672 goals in 778 games for the club, surpassing everyone else during his time there. He also provided 305 assists, making him the player with the most assists in Barcelona’s history.
Messi has 10 La Liga titles, 7 Copa del Rey titles, 4 UEFA Champions League titles, and many other trophies. His incredible dribbling, creativity, and goal-scoring skills played a big part in making Barcelona a football powerhouse.
2. Luis Suárez
- Date of Birth: January 24, 1987
- Position: Striker
- Career: 2014-2020
Luis Suárez quickly became one of the most dangerous strikers in Europe after joining Barcelona in 2014.
The Uruguayan made more than 198 appearances, scoring 147 goals with 73 assists as he led the charge for a deadly attacking trio alongside Messi and Neymar which became known as ‘MSN’. During his time at the club, he counted 4 La Liga titles, 1 UEFA Champions League, and 4 Copa del Rey trophies among his achievements.
On the pitch, Suárez wasn’t always known for playing by the rules, but he was a clinical goal-scorer with a strong determination to succeed, which made up for the occasional controversies.
3. Samuel Eto’o
- Date of Birth: March 10, 1981
- Position: Striker
- Career: 2004-2009
Samuel Eto’o was arguably the most prolific and important striker in the history of Barcelona.
Eto’o scored 130 goals in 199 appearances in the 2004 workforce, which became an instant hit. No one was more crucial than he was when it came to goalscoring and he was a key part of the team under coach Frank Rijkaard.
Eto’o’s Barca won 2 UEFA Champions League, 3 La Liga and 2 Copa del Rey. He is one of the most feared strikers in Europe. But the speed and crisp finishing got him fans and his combative style.
4. Ronaldo Nazário
- Date of Birth: September 22, 1976
- Position: Striker
- Career: 1996-1997
Brazilian striker Ronaldo had a brief but brilliant spell in the 1996-97 season at Barcelona, scoring 47 goals in 49 games outplayed.
Ronaldo may have been gone from the club for a short time but his mark was enormous. In his only season with Barcelona, he won the Pichichi Trophy as the top scorer in La Liga.
During his time at Barcelona, watching Suárez glide past defenders and finish with precision was a joy. While he wasn’t Messi, he was an explosive dribbler and a clinical finisher. His impact may have lasted just one campaign, but it left a lasting legacy.
5. Thierry Henry
- Date of Birth: August 17, 1977
- Position: Forward (Winger/Striker)
- Career: 2007-2010
One of Barcelona’s greatest signings of the modern era, Arsenal forward Thierry Henry joined in 2007.
Henry was brought to the club by Ferguson for his 4 seasons, scoring 49 goals in 119 appearances and 18 assists. He wasn’t as prolific as some other strikers on this list, Henry had a huge influence on Barcelona’s attacking play.
All his pace, intelligence, and vision made a huge difference to the team’s success, including two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey titles, and the UEFA Champions League.
6. Robert Lewandowski
- Date of Birth: August 21, 1988
- Position: Striker
- Career: 2022-Present
Robert Lewandowski made a big impact at Barcelona in 2022. He is a goal-scoring machine. In his debut season, he won the Supercopa de España, the La Liga title, and the Pichichi Trophy.
Lewandowski shares the record for most of Europe’s top five top scorer awards (8) alongside Lionel Messi and the record for most consecutive Europe’s top five top scorer awards (6) with Kylian Mbappé.
His time at the club is still early, but he has already ticked the leadership and goal-scoring boxes and his goals record says it all about his quality.
7. Romário
- Date of Birth: January 29, 1966
- Position: Striker
- Career: 1993-1995
The early 90s was vital to Romário in Barcelona’s attacking line. In two seasons at the club, the Brazilian forward managed 39 goals in 65 appearances.
Romário played for Barcelona for just 10 months, but that was enough for him to win a La Liga title, along with many other awards. More importantly, he experienced what many footballers feel but is rarely seen by the public—that Barcelona is a stage for greatness.
At the time, he was one of the best forwards in the world with his knack for breaking down defenses in a galaxy of Barcelona superstars.
8. Gary Lineker
- Date of Birth: November 30, 1960
- Position: Striker
- Career: 1986-1989
English star Gary Lineker joined Barcelona in 1986 and thrived, scoring 21 goals in 49 appearances.
Lineker was known for playing sharp, goal-scoring instinct and helped Barcelona win the Copa del Rey in 1988.
He was with the club for only a short time but made his mark on the field both that first season and the following.
9. Patrick Kluivert
- Date of Birth: July 1, 1976
- Position: Striker
- Career: 1998-2004
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Patrick Kluivert was a key player for Barcelona. In his 6 years at the club, he scored 122 goals in 257 appearances.
The Dutch striker was a potent threat up front because of his consistency, strength, and aerial ability.
Kluivert helped Barcelona win 1 La Liga title and 1 UEFA Champions League and played for them in the squad that won the 1999-00 La Liga title.
10. David Villa
- Date of Birth: December 3, 1981
- Position: Forward (Winger/Striker)
- Career: 2010-2013
David Villa joined Barcelona from Valencia in 2010 and straight away became a huge part of the team.
Villa’s 48 goals in 119 appearances and 19 assists in three seasons at the club was good. In La Liga, he won 2 titles and the UEFA Champions League, and 2 Copa del Rey.
With his versatility, pace, and excellent final ball, David Villa became a key player for Barcelona during its most successful period under Pep Guardiola.
11. César Rodríguez
- Date of Birth: November 14, 1920
- Position: Striker
- Career: 1942-1955
César Rodríguez was a Barcelona legend in the 1940s and 1950s. He scored 232 goals in 249 games, making him one of the club’s top scorers of all time.
He helped Barcelona win 5 La Liga titles and 2 Copa del Rey trophies. With his prolific goal-scoring ability, he truly defined the team.
12. Josep Samitier
- Date of Birth: February 2, 1902
- Position: Forward (Winger/Striker)
- Career: 1923-1932
Josep Samitier was an important founding figure of Barcelona. He scored 184 goals in 249 appearances and was known for his creativity and vision, whether playing as a forward or an attacking midfielder.
His contributions to the club brought several La Liga and Copa del Rey trophies and he became a club icon while at the club from the 1920s through the early 1930s.
13. Zlatan Ibrahimović
- Date of Birth: October 3, 1981
- Position: Striker
- Career: 2009-2011
Zlatan Ibrahimović’s time at Barcelona was short but memorable. He scored 22 goals in 46 appearances, helping the team win La Liga and the Supercopa de España.
Though his style and talent didn’t fully fit the team’s system, he still left a lasting mark on the club.
14. Hristo Stoichkov
- Date of Birth: February 8, 1966
- Position: Forward (Winger/Striker)
- Career: 1989-1995
Hristo Stoichkov was one of Barcelona’s most iconic and fiery forwards in the early 1990s. During his time at the club, he scored 113 goals in 254 appearances.
As part of Johan Cruyff’s “Dream Team,” he won 1 UEFA Champions League, 4 La Liga titles, and 1 Copa del Rey.
His passion, vision, and exceptional skill made him a fan favorite, though many wish he had retired at a different point in his career.
15. Pedro
- Date of Birth: July 28, 1987
- Position: Forward (Winger/Striker)
- Career: 2008-2015
Pedro was a key part of Barcelona’s attack during the late 2000s and early 2010s. He scored 99 goals in 321 appearances and was a vital player in a team that won many titles, including 5 La Liga titles, 3 UEFA Champions League trophies, and 3 Copa del Rey trophies.
His work rate and tactical intelligence were crucial to the team’s success.
16. Maxi López
- Date of Birth: April 3, 1984
- Position: Striker
- Career: 2005-2006
Maxi López played only 4 matches for Barcelona, scoring 1 goal. His time at the club wasn’t very notable as he struggled to make a lasting impact. However, he contributed briefly before moving to other European clubs.
Born at River Plate, López spent most of his career in Italy, playing 215 Serie A matches and scoring 46 goals for clubs Catania, AC Milan, Sampdoria, Chievo, Torino, and Udinese.
He was also part of Barcelona’s squad during their La Liga and UEFA Champions League double win in 2006 and played for Grêmio and Vasco da Gama in Brazil’s Série A.
17. Bojan Krkić
- Date of Birth: August 28, 1990
- Position: Forward (Winger/Striker)
- Career: 2007-2013
Often considered a highly regarded Barcelona youth product was Bojan Krkić. He managed 104 first-team appearances and 26 goals.
Bojan was a product of Barcelona’s academy, seen as one of the club’s next big things, and played a big role in some of their victories in the late 2000s, but his career at Camp Nou didn’t go according to plan.
18. Sándor Kocsis
- Date of Birth: September 21, 1929
- Position: Striker
- Career: 1958-1961
Juan Alberto ‘Sándor’ Kocsis was one of the greatest forwards in football history and played for Barcelona during the 1960s.
In 143 appearances, he scored 117 goals in Barcelona’s attack, instrumental within the team as it won 1 La Liga title and other trophies. However, his clinical finishing and skill gave him a place among the club’s very best strikers.
19. Quini
- Date of Birth: September 12, 1949
- Position: Striker
- Career: 1980-1984
Quini was a valuable player for Barcelona in the late 1970s and early 1980s, scoring 57 goals in 118 appearances.
Quini was known for his consistency and goal-scoring skills before he helped Barcelona win the Cup in 1981 and later was key to the team at the club.
20. László Kubala
- Date of Birth: June 10, 1927
- Position: Forward (Winger/Striker)
- Career: 1951-1961
László Kubala is remembered as one of Barcelona’s most legendary figures and a key part of the team’s successes during the 1950s.
Kubala is best remembered for scoring 194 goals in 256 appearances for Barcelona involving himself centrally in the club’s attack as he helped the Catalans win 4 La Liga titles and 5 Copa del Rey trophies.
Displaying his skill and flair throughout his career, however, he remains one of the club’s all-time greats, his legacy having been long guaranteed at the club by his skill and his flair.