Greatest number 10s in Barcelona's history ranked

As Lamine Yamal prepares to take the number 10 shirt at Barcelona next season, we've taken a look at the top 10 players to have donned the famous shirt at the Catalan giants.

The number 10 shirt at Barcelona is one of the most iconic shirts in world football and whilst its current holder Ansu Fati has failed to live up to its expectations ahead of an imminent loan move to Monaco, some of the world's best players have also worn the number 10 shirt.

Since the turn of the 20th century, a total of 59 players have had the honour and Yamal is set to become the next Barcelona number 10.

With the likes of Lionel Messi, Romario, Diego Maradona and Rivaldo featuring amongst an illustrious list of players to have worn the jersey, we've ranked the 10 greatest players below.

Greatest Barcelona Number 10s

10. Evaristo

Whilst there are a number of Brazilian greats who have donned the number 10 shirt at Barcelona in recent years, we go back to the summer of July 1957 for our first Brazilian player on the list.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, talented forward Evaristo arrived from Flamengo that summer and he spent five seasons at Barcelona.

He won six trophies during his time at Barcelona and he was the first player to ever score a hat-trick at the Nou Camp.

With 78 goals in 114 matches for the club, Evaristo won six trophies and is fondly remembered despite leaving the club for Real Madrid after Barcelona had to limit their foreign players.

9. Hristo Stoichkov

The 1994 World Cup Golden Boot winner is undoubtedly the greatest Bulgarian player in his country's history.

Whilst he regularly wore the number eight shirt at Barcelona, his best time at the club came during the 1993/94 season when he wore the number 10 shirt more often.

'El Pistolero' scored 24 times that season and he finished 1994 by winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or award.

8. Gheorghe Hagi

The diminutive creative midfielder had previously spent two seasons at Real Madrid, but he arrived at Barcelona in 1994 and also spent two seasons in Catalonia.

The Romanian is still loved by both sets of supporters after gracing both clubs with his brilliance in the 1990s.

His goal for Barcelona against Celta Vigo in December 1994 remains one of the best in the club's history and he would arguably be higher on the list if it wasn't for injuries.

7. Luis Suarez

A namesake of the tenacious modern-day striker, the original Luis Suarez is widely regarded as one of the greatest Spanish football players of all time.

'El Arquitecto' scored 62 times in 122 appearances for Barcelona before moving on to Inter Milan, where he spent almost a decade.

Suarez was the first Spanish recipient of the Ballon d'Or in 1960 and he also helped Spain win their first European Championship title in 1964.

6. Romario

He only spent two seasons at Barcelona but Romario will go down as one of the best players to play for Barcelona.

The World Cup winner scored a staggering 690 goals during his illustrious career, which includes the 32 goals he notched in his debut campaign for Barcelona.

His partnership with Stoichkov in the 1990s was one of the most lethal in world football and he was a key component in the 1993/94 title-winning team.

5. Laszlo Kubala

A total of 14 trophies and 193 goals in 254 appearances gives Laszlo Kubala a deserved place on this list of the great Barcelona number 10s.

He spent 10 years at Barcelona after arriving from Hungary and he produced a staggering 26 goals in 19 games in his first season at the club in the 1951/52 season.

He later managed the club on two separate occasions and during the club's centenary celebrations in 1999, Kubala was voted as the best player to ever play for Barcelona in a fans' poll.

4. Rivaldo

During his time at Barcelona, Rivaldo won the Ballon d'Or and was also voted as the World Player of the Year.

Rivaldo remains just one of nine players to have won the FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and the Ballon d'Or.

He also won two La Liga titles whilst at Barcelona and on his day he was quite simply unplayable.

3. Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho is one of the most skillful players ever to grace a football pitch and before Lionel Messi burst onto the scene, he was the best player in the world.

His most memorable moment at Barcelona came away at Real Madrid in 2005 when he received a standing ovation from supporters of Barcelona's great rivals following an utterly imperious performance.

Ronaldinho won two FIFA World Player of the Year awards and a Ballon d'Or during his career, and he remains the only player to have won a World Cup, a Copa América, a Confederations Cup, a UEFA Champions League, a Copa Libertadores and a Ballon d'Or.

2. Diego Maradona

Diego Maradona was handed the number 10 shirt after arriving from Boca Juniors for a world record fee of £5 million in 1982.

His best years were with Napoli and the Argentina national team but Maradona immediately became a fans' favourite at the Nou Camp and he made a significant impression in his two years at the club.

During two injury-hit seasons at Barcelona, Maradona scored 38 goals in 58 games but he left the club in controversial circumstances following a mass brawl in the 1984 Copa Del Rey final.

1. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi unsurprisingly tops the list and he is not just the greatest number 10 in Barcelona's history, but also the greatest number 10 for any club.

672 goals for one of the biggest clubs in world football is simply ridiculous and it comes to something where he easily tops a list that contains the likes of Ronaldinho, Diego Maradona and Rivaldo.

Lamine Yamal is seen as a potential heir to Messi and if he gets anywhere close then Barcelona have more exciting years ahead of them.