Besides Messi who else from La Masia academy?
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La Masia
La Masia stands as football’s gold standard for youth development, well-known for feeding Barcelona and even the world with elite players.
Lionel Messi is La Masia’s most famous crown jewel.
Besides Messi, midfield masters like Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta are also graduates of La Masia.
This article will discuss the football stars who have emerged from La Masia.
Current Barcelona Players Who Are La Masia Graduates
Position. | Player |
---|---|
GK | Iñaki Peña |
DF | Pau Cubarsí |
DF | Balde |
DF | Araujo |
DF | Eric Carcia |
MF | Gavi |
MF | Fermin Lopez |
MF | Marc Casado |
MF | Dani Olmo |
FW | Ansu Fati |
FW | Pau Victor |
FW | Lamine Yamal |
La Masia Graduates Who Shared the Pitch with Messi
In the 2012/13 season, Barcelona achieved a remarkable feat with an entire starting XI made up of players from La Masia. The lineup that played at Levante in the 2012/13 season was as follows:
From left to right:
- 🐐 Messi
- The Low-Key Silent Killer - Pedro
- Forgettable Montoya
- Alba
- Young Master - Fabregas
- The Best Midfield Trio: Busquets, Iniesta, Xavi
- Spain’s Beckenbauer - Piqué
- The Eternal Captain - Puyol
- GK - Valdés
Bayern Munich legend Thiago Alcântara, Aleñá, The worst no. 10s Ansu Fati, Carles Pérez, Riqui Puig, and Sergi Roberto are all products of La Masia who played alongside Messi at Barcelona.
Additionally, one of the best managers, Pep Guardiola, is also a La Masia graduate.
As a player for Barcelona, he achieved remarkable success, winning six La Liga championships and a European Cup.
Stars Who Didn’t Play for Barcelona but Came from La Masia
Not everyone can catch the chance to establish themselves in Barcelona’s first team, but that doesn’t mean they’re not excellent.
Next, I will introduce some familiar stars from other teams who actually came from Barcelona’s academy.
Once the Fastest Right-Back in the World – Héctor Bellerín
Héctor Bellerín, who rose to fame at a young age with Arsenal, is a well-known graduate of La Masia Academy. He had a brief stint at Barcelona during the 2022-23 season but unfortunately didn’t get many opportunities.
Entangled with Wanda, Icardi is also a La Masia academy graduate
I also quite surprised to learn that Icardi also spent time at La Masia. Although he had impressive performances at Inter Milan and PSG, it’s a pity that his football talent was ultimately ruined by Wanda and himself.
Goalkeeper Onana is a LaMasia project too
Although it’s not listed on Wikipedia, Andre Onana actually spent five years at La Masia during his youth. His time there was instrumental in developing his football skills, which now became a key factor to becoming a modern Ball-Playing Goalkeeper.
Mikel Arteta
Current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta spent five years at La Masia, even being roommates with Andrés Iniesta and Carles Puyol, but never getting a first-team runout. However, his experiences at Paris Saint-Germain, Everton, and Arsenal are enough to prove that he is also a football genius.
I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that one day Mikel Arteta will return to Barcelona and take over as manager.
Marc Cucurella
Cucu’s Spanish nationality, combined with his exceptional attacking instincts, ball control, and passing ability, makes it easy to guess that he is a La Masia product. Cucurella spent eight years on the books at Barcelona, playing for the youth teams and Barça B, and made a single senior appearance as a substitute for Lucas Digne in the Copa del Rey.
Football Player-Aadama Traore
It’s hard to imagine a footballer with as much muscle as an American football player. Even more surprising is that Traoré, who struggles with passing, came from Barça since he was a young boy.
Traoré made his debut with the Barça first team in 2013, replacing Neymar. What surprised me was that he looked quite skinny at the time.
Not Only Graduated from La Masia, but Also Had Hair Back Then – Pepe Reina
With the Barca badge on his chest and him with hair – it’s hard to believe these two things could happen at the same time.
Oh my god, and I even found the picture!
Although this article comes to an end, it’s worth noting that La Masia, as the best youth academy in the world, has also nurtured stars like Oriol Romeu and Alex Grimaldo, in addition to the previously mentioned players. However, due to time constraints, I’ll conclude here.
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FAQ
How many times has Barcelona won La Liga Titles?
How many times has Barcelona won La Liga Titles? Barcelona has won La Liga 27 times.
Where is the FC Barcelona?
Where is the FC Barcelona? FC Barcelona’s home stadium, Camp Nou, is located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
How many times has Barcelona won La Liga Titles?
How many times has Barcelona won La Liga Titles? Barcelona has won La Liga 27 times.
Where is the FC Barcelona?
Where is the FC Barcelona? FC Barcelona’s home stadium, Camp Nou, is located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
How many years has Messi played for Barcelona?
How many years has Messi played for Barcelona? Lionel Messi’s 21-Year Career at Barcelona Lionel Messi’s journey at Barcelona spans 21 years, with numerous milestones and records that have shaped both his career and the club’s legacy. ⚽2000, July 1: At the age of 13 years and 7 days, Messi joined Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, moving from Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys U19 team. ⚽2003, November 16: Messi made his debut for Barcelona in a friendly match against FC Porto.