Barcelona, once a highly successful club, has experienced a period of turmoil in the past year and a half. They have suffered losses, poor performances, a lack of motivation, and the departure of key players. Financial crises and a tarnished reputation have added to their woes. The 8-2 defeat against FC Bayern Munich was a particularly devastating blow. In this Barcelona Players Tier List, we assess players based on their performances during the 2021-22 season, focusing on those who are currently at the club and performing well despite the club’s difficulties.
Please note that this Tier List reflects personal opinions and may not be shared by everyone. Constructive criticism is welcome, but unfair criticism is not. Our rankings were determined based on careful analysis and specific criteria, which will be explained as you read further.
Key Points
- There are a total of 25 Barca players ranked in this tier list.
- Each entry has been ranked according to its number of appearances, reputation, playstyle etc.
- In the top tier, you can find Pedri, Jordi Alba, Marc-André ter Stegen, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, etc.
- Among the lowest tier, you can find Alex Blade, Óscar Mingueza, Riqui Puig, Samuel Umtiti, Neto, etc.
Summary
We have ranked all the players in a small list below.
| S Rank. | A Rank. | B Rank. | C Rank. | D Rank. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedri | Ronald Araújo | Eric García | Riqui Puig | Samuel Umtiti |
| Aubameyang | Ferran Torres | Sergi Roberto | Óscar Mingueza | Neto |
| Pierre-Emerick | Ousmane Dembélé | Arnau Tenas | Alex Blade | |
| Marc-André ter Stegen | Frenkie de Jong | Clément Lenglet | ||
| Jordi Alba | Luuk de Jong | Adama Traoré | ||
| Ez Abde | Gerard Piqué | |||
| Dani Alves | Martin Braithwaite | |||
| Sergio Busquets | Gavi |
S Tier
The UntouchablesMaking our way to the S-Tier of the Tier List, which consists of players with some pretty immaculate performances throughout the 2021-22 season campaign. The current football season did not start on a good note for FCB, as the club only managed to gain 15 points from their first 10 games, and was also eliminated from the Champions League after a belter of a performance, But now it all seems in the past as Barca are currently second in the league right behind the table Real Madrid and have an 11 games unbeaten run, thanks to the Barcelona Players Ranked in the S-Tier.
Marc-André ter Stegen
Curious about the first player of the top tier, well we present to you the spine of Barca’s defense Marc-André ter Stegen, the club’s goalkeeper who is responsible to deny any of the opponent’s attempts to score a goal. Ter Stegen is the team’s last line of defense and his sole duty is to prevent the opponent attackers from scoring. The German shot-stopper has one of the most crucial roles in the team, as any error or mistake from his side may prove fatal and set the fate of the match in the favor of the opposite team.
Throughout the 2021-22 season, Ter Stegen has played a total of 41 matches and conceded 48 goals with 13 clean sheets to his name, which is an impressive feat for any goalkeeper.
| Matches | 466 |
| Goals | 0 |
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The January Transfer window in the footballing calendar may not be much anticipated by football enthusiasts all over the world as its summer counterpart but still is quite a crucial feat, as the right business can boost up the morale and help the team achieve their due objectives for the season.
For the FCB, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came as a result of this winter transfer window, and what a fruitful addition he has been to the team. Since his arrival at the Camp Nou Aubameyang has shown a lethal touch a scored a total of 10 goals, which also includes a brace against their arch-rivals Real Madrid, in 14 games while also providing a single assist. At the moment he looks to be one of the Best Barcelona Players to play for the team in the 2021-22 season.
| Matches | 17 |
| Goals | 9 |
Pedri
Pedri is a young prospect in the Barca camp, aiding the team’s Central Mid Field, the kid is in the form of his life, scoring 5 goals and one assist in 21 matches despite suffering from a devastating hamstring injury. Pedri’s involvement has had a huge impact on the team, he has shown promise and great skill with the ball, and is truly a great talent emerging in the world of football.
| Matches | 52 |
| Goals | 8 |
Jordi Alba
The next player in the S-Tier of the Tier List is Jordi Alba, he is imperative for the team to perform well, as the Spanish Left Back has started every game this season whenever he has shown his availability for the team. In a season, where the team has majorly suffered from injury crises, Alba looks to be the vital roadblock holding up the Barcelona defenses.
This season the Spaniard has played a total of 36 matches and provided a total of 10 assists while also scoring 2 goals, he is a player of pure class and elegance.
| Matches | 36 |
| Goals | 2 |
A Tier
The Good PlayersThe second tier in the Barcelona Players Tier List is the A-Tier which has some pretty decent nominations, the players that are added to the A-Tier have had a number of extraordinary performances, having said that under no circumstances these players can outclass the players added in the S-Tier.
These players have definitely contributed to the club’s objectives for the current season campaign and have had an influence on the recent accomplishments of the club. Moving on, let us see who the first player in the A-Tier is.
Sergio Busquets
The first player in the A-Tier is the captain himself Sergio Busquets, He is the heart of the FCB midfield. His accurate through passes and game judgment is something from which the team has truly benefitted, furthermore, he is the influential element that has affected the team’s performance, being the captain, he has truly done justice to the added responsibility, keeping the team intact and boosting the morale after the first few mishaps at the start of the season campaign.
Statistically Speaking the Spaniard may have had a mediocre time on the field, scoring only one goal and one assists the entire season, but these stats do not reflect the importance of leadership and composure that comes to the side with Sergio Busquets.
| Matches | 700 |
| Goals | 16 |
Ousmane Dembélé
Admittedly there has been a lot of uncertainty associated with the club’s playing eleven lately, with many of the players suffering from numerous injuries, the tragedy also struck Ousmane Dembélé, who was ruled out for most of the season due to a severe knee injury, but since his return to the Camp Nou, the French Right Winger has been downright deadly, with scoring 2 goals in 24 matches while simultaneously chucking 11 assists. He is a key player in Xavi’s playing eleven.
| Matches | 203 |
| Goals | 5 |
Frenkie de Jong
Frenkie de Jong is a prospering midfielder in the FCB ranks. Barca took interest in de Jong, back in 2019 when he impressed the entire world with his mad skill and help Ajax to reach the semi-final of the Champions League and ultimately signed him for a transfer fee of 86 million. Over his time at the club de Jong truly has improved his game and has greatly assisted this weakened Barcelona side.
Over the course of the 2021-22 season, he made a total of 39 appearances and scored a plausible 4 goals and 5 assists. He has a bright future ahead and may soon be considered one of the Best Barcelona Players to play a Camp Nou.
| Matches | 32 |
| Goals | 4 |
Ferran Torres
Ferran Torres is an astonishing young generational talent, a good offensive option for any football in the world. He arrived at the club during the January transfer window for a transfer fee of 55 million from Manchester City and has been a considerable addition to the team’s attacking capabilities, his pinpoint crosses, and breathtaking gameplays are a treat to watch, until now Torres has played 18 games for Barcelona and has been a part of 7 goals and 5 assists.
| Matches | 29 |
| Goals | 7 |
Luuk de Jong
Luuk de Jong joined Barcelona as a part of a loan deal from Sevilla. With both Messi and Griezmann went Barca was in dire need of an attacker with a clinical touch to score goals, which the club ultimately achieved in the form of Luuk de Jong. Luuk is a big match player and has always come in clutch when needed the most. Since he arrived at Camp Nou, he has played in 23 matches and scored an impressive 7 goals, A great induction in the A-Tier.
| Matches | 30 |
| Goals | 7 |
Ronald Araújo
Ronald Araújo is a young Uruguayan center-back who joined the FCB from the Boston Rivers in a transfer deal of 4.7 million, in his time at the club the youngster has grown into a more mature and seasoned footballer.
The team management has also shown their trust in the youngster and has blessed him with a number of opportunities to play first-team football, which were answered by a number of decent performances.
In the 2021-22 season, Araújo has played a total of 37 matches and alongside his defensive duties, the player has also scored 4 goals.
| Matches | 22 |
| Goals | 7 |
Dani Alves
Dani Alves joined the FCB as a free agent during the January transfer window and has provided some much-needed support to the team’s backline. Alves plays as a Right Wing Back and has made a number of crucial interceptions which prevented the opponent teams from scoring goals.
During the present season, Alves has been a part of the team for 11 games, provided 2 assists, and scored one goal. Alves is a player capable of outshining the opposition on his day. A great defensive player.
| Matches | 400 |
| Goals | 5 |
Ez Abde
Before the 2021-22 season commenced Barcelona’s attacking capabilities were substantially downgraded when both Leonel Messi and Antoine Griezmann left the club, which was no less than a horror show for the fans. However, the situation served as a great opportunity for a lot of new talent to rise and showcase their strengths and capabilities.
Ez Abde is an emerging Moroccan left-winger who was given the opportunity to play first-team football through an internal transfer from Barcelona B, and has played 26 matches this season in which he scored 2 goals and 6 assists, an overall impressive feat for the young left-winger.
| Matches | 29 |
| Goals | 3 |
B-Tier
The Fairly Average at BestAh, the B-Tier or should we say the mediocre tier, because the players that are inducted into the B- Tier have had a pretty ordinary season up till now, they really haven’t stood out from the rest of the team, having said that, these players have given some good performances from which the team benefited.
These are decent players and are capable of outplaying their opponents, but they lack the consistency in their form and the performances they put forward for the club, the major reason why these players are added to the fairly average tier of the Barcelona Player Tier List.
Gerard Piqué
Gerard Piqué is among the more seasoned players present in the FCB player squad. He the club way back in 2008 and has spent more than a decade playing as a center-back at the Camp Nou, however, unfortunately, the current season of 2021-22 may not be that good for Piqué, despite his good form a strong sense of leadership, he for sure has been ruled out for the remaining season due to a tear in his abductor’s muscle.
Until now, Piqué has had the opportunity to appear in a total of 38 games, made a number of crucial interceptions, and blocked the opponent’s shots while also scoring 3 goals across all competitions.
| Matches | 397 |
| Goals | 52 |
Adama Traoré
Reading up till now it should’ve been clear that Barcelona did a fair share of business in the January Transfer window in an attempt to restore the club’s reputation and salvage something from the current season. Adama Traoré arrived at Camp Nou as a lone player from the Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
And has played a substantial amount of games for the FCB, he appeared in 12 games and scored one goal, and provided 4 assists, which is pretty decent but far from competing with the likes of Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembélé, Adama Traoré is among the Barcelona Players Ranked in the mediocre tier.
| Matches | 21 |
| Goals | 4 |
Sergi Roberto
Due to the uncertainty with the managerial role, there has been a lot of rotation with players in the playing eleven. Sergi Roberto is another Central Mid Fielder among the FCB ranks who have been given the opportunity to represent the Football Club Barcelona. He is a prodigy of Barcelona, playing for the club since his U-16 days. However, this season he has only represented the club in a handful of games, 12 games to be exact due to a hamstring injury, and is having an almost below-average season.
| Matches | 231 |
| Goals | 16 |
Arnau Tenas
Arnau Tenas plays as a backup goalkeeper and has shown his worth on numerous occasions. The kid is still young and has plenty of time to develop and improve if mentored well. This season he has been blessed with a number of opportunities, which he wholeheartedly availed, conceding 19 goals in 14 matches while also keeping a single clean sheet, he is added to the mediocre tier, as the kid still requires a substantial amount of game time and experience to meet the high standards set over the history of the football club and establish himself as one of the Best Barcelona Players in the playing squad.
| Matches | 30 |
| Goals | 19 |
Gavi
Many football teams from around the world have attempted to bring up the youth this season, as many young prospects have made their respective debuts on the big stage, the same reality is true for Gavi, a young gifted Midfielder who has been blessed with the opportunity to play first-team football through an initial transfer from the U-19 side.
Gavi is only 17 and has great skill, scoring 2 goals and 6 assists in 40 games, however at the same time the kid is quite reckless being booked 11 times and sent off 1 time this season.
| Matches | 35 |
| Goals | 2 |
Clément Lenglet
The Football Club Barcelona has truly been humbled by the injury crises this season with most of its players missing crucial games due to various injuries. The team’s defense line defiantly took a hit with both Gerard Piqué and Samuel Umtiti ruled out for the reaming of the season due to a tear in the abductor muscle and a fractured toe respectively.
In their absence, Clément Lenglet has been taking care of the defensive chores and has been fairly decent in doing so, as the club has conceded 19 goals in the 20 matches he has played this season and has been added to the mediocre performing tier.
| Matches | 26 |
| Goals | 7 |
Martin Braithwaite
Martin Braithwaite is a Center Forward, who joined the Football Club Barcelona in 2020 for a transfer fee of 18 million euros. The Danish attacker, like many of his teammates, has been hampered by injuries, missing more than half of the season owing to a knee injury. Braithwaite has only played 5 times this season but has already scored 2 goals, which are excellent numbers for any attacking player.
| Matches | 58 |
| Goals | 9 |
Eric García
Eric García is a young aspiring center back that Barcelona as part of a free transfer, from Manchester City, and has had a good season playing for the Spanish club, up till now García has played a total of 30 matches and has been determined in fulfilling his defensive obligations, but simultaneously has also been booked 7 times which can be a problem, as he is in habit of making rough plays and may be prone to be suspended. He is added to the B-Tier.
| Matches | 28 |
| Goals | 1 |
C-Tier
The Poor Performing Barcelona PlayersMoving on to the C-Tier, some of the players that are present in that Barcelona players squad, have had a pretty rough season this year. These players have had poor form and have basically struggled to keep up with the rest of the team in true means, which is evident from their poor stats.
Many of the Barcelona Players Ranked in this poor-performing tier, have performed well in the past years and the fans for sure were expecting a lot from them this season, but unfortunately, it all went down the drain. This downfall may be due to a lot of reasons, the excessive rotation, the injury crises, we don’t know what to blame but the damage has been done.
Alex Blade
Alex Blade is a young Left-Back who emerged from the FCB youth setup in recent times. The blade has the capability to become an achieving footballer one day, having said that Blade has played a total of 16 games this season and was somewhat eclipsed by the opposing team, which may be a sign that the young Left-Back yet may not be ready to play at the big stage.
| Matches | 33 |
| Goals | 1 |
Riqui Puig
Riqui Puig is a Spanish Midfielder, who is in contact with the FCB until the summer of 2023. He is a skilled player but has spent most of his time on the bench this season, and has played a mere handful of 14 matches and provided 1 assist, which is still decent when compared to some of the other players that are yet to come, and hence he is added to the second-worst tier.
| Matches | 57 |
| Goals | 3 |
Óscar Mingueza
Due to the injury crises, the team management has mainly relied on player rotation and has played a wide array of players across multiple competitions this season. Óscar Mingueza is a Right Back that plays for the Football Club Barcelona.
Up till now the player has made about 23 appearances for the club and has displayed some fair performances, However, in the presence of Dani Alves, it is quite difficult for Mingueza to take his place in the team and is therefore added to the C-Tier.
| Matches | 39 |
| Goals | 4 |
D-Tier
Absolutely Shambolic!At last, we reach the worst tier of them all, the D-Tier, the players that are present in this tier, have been borderline shambolic to watch, it was almost painful to see a player perform so bad and get annihilated by the competition.
These players have had to bear with a very unfortunate fate this season, and haven’t had much to contribute to the team’s cause and proved to be the absolute worst out of the entire lot, and are added to the bottom tier.
Neto
The first player in the bottom tier is Neto, who plays as a backup goalkeeper for the club, he joined Barcelona in 2019 in a transfer deal of 18 million pounds with Valencia. The thirty-two-year-old Brazilian shot-stopper has spent more time on the bench than on the field playing football, he has not been given enough game time, playing in only 3 matches he has conceded 4 goals, contrary to the expectations of the coach and his teammates.
| Matches | 21 |
| Goals | 9 |
Samuel Umtiti
Samuel Umtiti is among the senior players in the Barcelona player squad, together with Gerard Piqué the duo had formed a solid backline to protect the goal post from the opponent attackers in recent years. However, the 2021-22 season has proved to be an utter disappointment for the French center-back.
Umtiti has only played one match this season due to a fractured toe and a comeback also looks to be out of the question. He is among the Barcelona Players Ranked in the worst tier of the tier list, because of his lack of participation and absolutely no contributions to the team’s cause.
| Matches | 170 |
| Goals | 2 |
Comparison Table
| Players | Tier | Matches | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedri | S | 52 | 8 |
| Aubameyang | S | 24 | 20 |
| Pierre-Emerick | S | 17 | 9 |
| Marc-André ter Stegen | S | 466 | 0 |
| Jordi Alba | S | 313 | 27 |
| Ronald Araújo | A | 22 | 7 |
| Ferran Torres | A | 29 | 7 |
| Ousmane Dembélé | A | 203 | 5 |
| Frenkie de Jong | A | 32 | 4 |
| Luuk de Jong | A | 30 | 7 |
| Ez Abde | A | 29 | 3 |
| Dani Alves | A | 400 | 5 |
| Sergio Busquets | A | 700 | 16 |
| Eric García | B | 28 | 1 |
| Sergi Roberto | B | 231 | 16 |
| Arnau Tenas | B | 30 | 0 |
| Clément Lenglet | B | 26 | 7 |
| Adama Traoré | B | 21 | 4 |
| Gerard Piqué | B | 397 | 52 |
| Martin Braithwaite | B | 58 | 9 |
| Gavi | B | 35 | 2 |
| Riqui Puig | C | 57 | 3 |
| Óscar Mingueza | C | 39 | 4 |
| Alex Blade | C | 33 | 1 |
| Samuel Umtiti | D | 170 | 2 |
| Neto | D | 21 | 9 |
Summary
Finally, we have made our way to last, the current season 2021-22 has been a rather unique prospect for the FCB, a club with such rich history and an accomplished status, that went into the season campaign with mindboggling uncertainty and confusion, some might even say that the club was a complete mess and utter chaos in the managing ranks, Ronald Koeman failed to produce satisfactory results, many of the club’s best players left the team. FCB was on the brink to miss out on the Champions League spots for the first time since 2003.
Looking back, Barcelona’s story in the 2021-22 season is a tale of two haves, one where the club was in absolute turmoil and the other where the club is the literal meaning of success, winning games, confidence, boosting up morale, and remarkable performances.
The players have put in a lot of hard work, some may be more than others, hence this Barcelona Players Tier List is constituted to categorize the players into multiple categories or tiers on account of their performance and form over the course of the entire season.
The tier list is comprised of five tiers, and classifies the players from the very best to the absolute beat, with S-Tier being the very symphony of the untouchable players and the D-Tier being a place of the underperforming individuals.
However, before proceeding forward please understand that this tier list is a mere gist of an opinion, and varies largely, as opinions are highly subjective and controversial, Having said that, it brings us to the end of the tier list, see you in the future. Peace!