FC Barcelona academy La Masia is arguably the greatest the sport has ever seen, with a plethora of all-time greats coming through the ranks in the famed academy.
The academy is known for incorporating the ‘beautiful football’ ethos in their players from a very young age, emphasizing technical abilities development and team play.
It is of little surprise that the academy produces some of the greatest talents the game has seen rising to legendary status in the game.
We will be looking at the most valuable players ever to come through the famed academy.
Lionel Messi tops list of La Masia graduates with high market value
Quite unsurprisingly the Argentine takes the first place, having been worth as high as €180m at some point in his career.
Unarguably the greatest the academy has produced, Lionel Messi went from being an exciting young talent in the club ranks to becoming the club’s greatest ever.
The Argentine spent 17 years with the club, making his debut back in 2004, before leaving in 2021. He featured in 765 games in that period, scored 666 goals, and won several collective and individual accolades. It may take years for Barcelona to produce another Lionel Messi.
Lamine Yamal ranked 2nd
Lamine Yamal has been tipped to follow in the footsteps of Lionel Messi. Hebhas gone from strength to strength since making his senior debut in 2022. It is no surprise really to see him sit just below Messi in this ranking, with a market value of €150m.
The 17-year-old has taken the football world by storm, there has barely been any 17-year-old in the history of the sport that has shown the level of skill the Spaniard does.
Fresh from leading Spain to triumph in the Euro 2024, the youngster has hit even higher levels in the ongoing season. Forming a deadly trident with Robert Lewandoski and Raphina, he has been influential in Barcelona’s great run this season, scoring six and assisting another seven in 14 games played so far. Perhaps we didn’t need to wait 500 years to see another Lionel Messi
Mauro Icardi third on the list of La Masia graduates with high market values
Another generational talent that came up through the La Masia ranks is Mauro Icardi. The Galatasaray striker comes third in the list, having previously been valued at €100m.
Unlike the majority of the other names on the list, the Argentine didn’t make his name at Barcelona, not making a single appearance for the senior team. He is more recognized for his time at Inter Milan, where he had a great spell and was regarded as one of the best strikers in the world.
Pablo Gavi
20-year-old Pablo Gavi is regarded as one of the best in his position despite his age. The youngster is valued at €90m.
Gavi rapidly rose through the ranks from the Barcelona youth system to the senior team. He has gone on to make himself a key figure in the team and is considered one of the club’s most prized assets.
His fighting spirit, tenacity and technical abilities have made him a firm favourite among the Cules and has featured 114 times for the club, scoring seven goals.
Sergio Busquets ranked 5th
Sergio Busquets is one of the most important figures in the history of Barcelona. Arguably the best in his position during his prime, the Spaniard was valued as high as €80m in his time.
One of the most technically gifted footballers the game has seen, it is perhaps easy to overlook the Spaniard due to his small numbers.
However, Barcelona’s success during his time was largely due to the Spaniard’s ability to pull the string in the middle of the park for the club, breaking up opposition play and building up play for his team from the defensive midfield.
He enjoyed a largely successful period with Barcelona, winning several collective trophies and earning numerous individual recognitions.
Ansu Fati
Fati hit the ground running after making his senior debut with Barcelona and was regarded as one of the best youngsters in the world. After his big break, his estimated value went as high as €80m.
The hype around the Spaniard has however died in recent times, with injuries and inconsistency making the 21-year-old look like a shadow of his former self.
The youngster broke into the scene as a lethal finisher in his early days and was poised by many to take over Lionel Messi, He has 29 goals in 117 appearances for the team.
Xavi Simons ranked 7th with a peak value of €80m
RB Leipzig forward Xavi Simons is regarded as one of the best talents in world football and is considered by many to become one of the top footballers in the future. The talented Dutchman has a peak market value of €80m and is a graduate of the famous La Masia Academy.
Simons marks another La Masia talent that didn’t make his name at the club, also making zero senior team appearances for the club.
The youngster made his name with French side Paris St-Germain, bursting onto the scene as a talented winger, and is considered one of the best in the world in his position at his current club RB Leipzig.
Andres Iniesta
Andre Iniesta is another all-time talent to come through the La Masia ranks. He was widely regarded as the best in his position during his playing days and is still regarded as the arguable best to play in the Midfield. The Spaniard was rated as high as €70m during his playing days.
Iniesta was one of the popular figures in the Barcelona side that dominated the greater part of this century. He boasted insane levels of technical abilities, featured in 622 matches for the club, scoring 55 times.
Jordi Alba ranked 9th
Jordi Alba is arguably the finest left-back to grace the club. His tenacious tendencies made him an important figure during his time with the club. Quite a young prodigy himself, Alba was rated €70m during his peak.
Alba didn’t find first-team football in Barcelona after breaking out of La Masia, with the Spaniard moving to Valencia to play senior football. He returned to Barcelona following his stint with Valencia and established himself as an important figure after his return.
The fullback became a key figure in Barcelona’s set-up, with his seemingly telepathic connection with Lionel Messi yielding plenty of trophies for the Blaugranas. A legend of the club, he featured in 459 games for them and scored a decent 27 goals in what was a largely successful period for the Spaniard.
Thiago Alcantara ranked 10th on the chart
Thiago Alcantara is another La Masia product that commanded insane market value in its peak years. He was regarded as one of the biggest talents in the world following his emergence from La Masia into the senior team. The midfielder was valued as high as €70m during his early days.
While the Spaniard is considered to have massively underachieved in his Barcelona career, considering the promise he showed during his early years, he still made a decent name for himself away from the Camp Nou.
He is regarded as one of the finest midfielders of his generation. The 33-year-old featured 101 times for the club and scored 11 goals.
