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Where does Raphinha rank among Ronaldinho, Neymar and Barcelona's top 10 greatest Brazilians?

Barcelona have signed a grand total of 29 Brazilian players over the last 35 years, with Vitor Roque the latest through the door in January 2024. The former Athletico Paranaense youngster only lasted one year in Catalunya, though, making just 14 La Liga appearances before the Blaugrana accepted a €25 million (£21m/$26m) offer for his services from Palmeiras in the winter transfer window.

Just like compatriots Philippe Coutinho, Malcom and Arthur Melo before him, Roque was unable to live up to expectations at one of the world's biggest clubs. Sonny Anderson, Fabio Rochemback and Geovanni also endured the same struggles at Barcelona, who have a mixed record when it comes to investment in Samba stars.

As such, it was relatively easy for GOAL to settle on the top 10 Brazilian's in the club's history. Ranking those players, however, was a far more daunting task, because most of them can be categorised as Barcelona legends.

In fact, the only man on the list who hasn't earned that status yet is Raphinha. That could change for the former Leeds United man by the end of May, though, because he is spearheading Barca's latest treble charge under Hansi Flick, and is currently the favourite to win the 2025 Ballon d'Or. The question is: who is Raphinha bidding to overtake in the Blaugrana history books?Check out our rankings below...

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    10Adriano

    Signed from Sevilla for just €9.5m in the summer of 2010, Adriano would prove to be one of the bargain buys of the century in his trophy-laden six-year stint at Camp Nou. He never really nailed down a starting role, but was an invaluable utility player who could operate as a full-back or winger on both sides of the pitch, in central midfield and even in the heart of defence when required. Adriano also had a penchant for popping up with important goals, including a brace in Barca's 4-0 Club World Cup final win over Sadd Sports Club in 2011.

    World Cup winner Edmilson was also a contender for this No.10 slot, but we've given Adriano the nod because of his incredible versatility and superior honours list, with the former Sevilla man ending his time at Catalunya with four La Liga titles, two Champions League crowns and three Copas del Rey.

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    9Sylvinho

    All-action left-back Sylvinho made 128 appearances for Barca between 2004 and 2009 after being snapped up from Celta Vigo, racking up 17 goal contributions along the way. The former Arsenal star had a wand of a left foot and was a master at making overlapping runs, which made him a constant threat going forward, and his tactical awareness was second to none.

    Sylvinho fell down the pecking order after Eric Abidal's arrival at Camp Nou, but he continued to give everything when called upon, and produced an outstanding performance to help keep Cristiano Ronaldo at bay in Barcelona's 2-0 Champions League final victory over Manchester United in 2009. That proved to be Sylvinho's final game for the La Liga giants, but he left with five major trophies to his name - a fine return from a player who cost just €2m.

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    8Juliano Belletti

    Juliano Belletti replaced Michael Reiziger as Barcelona's first-choice right-back after joining from Villarreal in May 2004, and quickly became a fan favourite because of his passion and forward-thinking style of play. Frank Rijkaard was rewarded for putting his faith in Belletti right from the off; he gave Barca natural width in attack and worked tirelessly out of possession as they stormed to back-to-back league titles.

    Belletti is, however, most fondly remembered for scoring Barcelona's winning goal in the 2006 Champions League final against Arsenal. With just nine minutes left on the clock, he somehow managed to fire the ball through Manuel Almunia's legs from a tight angle after latching onto a pass from Henrik Larsson in the box. Remarkably, that was the only goal of Belletti's entire Barca career, but it forever cemented him a place in the club's Hall of Fame.

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    7Raphinha

    Raphinha scored two goals in his latest La Liga outing for Barca, including a stoppage-time penalty that gave Flick's side a vital 4-3 win against Celta Vigo. That took the 28-year-old past the half-century mark for goal contributions this term, a feat that has only been accomplished by three other Barcelona players - Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.

    No one would have backed Raphinha to reach those heights after his underwhelming first two years at Barca, but Flick has unlocked his full potential since replacing Xavi as head coach last summer. Raphinha's quality in the final third has given Barca an edge in the most important matches, and he's also led by example with his efforts off the ball.

    We may well have to push Raphinha into the top five if Barca complete a clean sweep of silverware; he's the best player in Europe right now, plain and simple.

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    6Romario

    Described as a "comic book player" by former Real Madrid manager Jorge Valdano, Romario completed Johan Cruyff's famed 'dream team' when he moved to Barca from PSV in 1993. The Brazilian frontman inspired Barca to La Liga glory in his debut season, scoring 30 goals in 33 appearances, including a stunning hat-trick in a 5-0 Clasico rout of Real Madrid, and then scooped the 1994 FIFA World Player of the Year award after helping his country to World Cup success in the United States.

    Romario also shone in the Champions League, most notably scoring home and away against Manchester United in the 1994-95 group stage. A fallout with Cruyff led to Romario's exit at the end of that campaign, but the Dutchman would later name him the greatest player he ever coached. "You never knew what to expect with him," Cruyff said. "His technique was outstanding, and he scored goals from every possible position."

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    5Ronaldo

    Ronaldo spent just one season at Barcelona, but what a season it was. 'O Fenomeno' hit a staggering 47 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions in 1996-97 as he set a new standard of excellence that only Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have been able to match since.

    Sir Bobby Robson's Barca didn't function that smoothly as a collective, but Ronaldo single-handedly dragged them to a Copa del Rey, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and Supercopa de Espana treble. Ronaldo also clinched the Pichichi Trophy as top scorer in La Liga, with his best goal coming in Barca's 5-1 win at Compostela as he ran through the entire opposition defence after picking the ball up in his own half.

    "He was the fastest thing I've ever seen running with the ball," Robson said of R9. "Had he managed to stay free of injury, he had every chance of becoming the best footballer ever." It was short and sweet, but Barcelona were lucky enough to have Ronaldo in his breath-taking pomp, when he used the perfect combination of pace, strength and trickery to rip defences to shreds week in, week out.

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    4Rivaldo

    Rivaldo was signed as a direct replacement for Ronaldo after he departed for Inter in June 1997, and against all odds was able to fill the boots of his esteemed countryman, albeit as more of an attacking midfielder than an out-and-out striker. Barca won two successive La Liga titles after Rivaldo arrived from Deportivo La Coruna, with the Brazilian contributing 57 goals to their cause, and he was subsequently awarded the 1999 Ballon d'Or.

    Barca gradually declined over the next two years, but Rivaldo's standards never dropped, and he dragged the team to Champions League qualification on the final day of the 2000-01 La Liga season, scoring an outrageous hat-trick to seal a 3-2 win over Valencia - complete with an 89th-minute overhead kick. Rivaldo was involved in 177 goals across his 235 appearances for the Blaugrana, and was unfortunate not to achieve more during his dazzling five-year stint at Camp Nou.

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    3Neymar

    In another life, Neymar might have grabbed the No.1 spot in these rankings. The Santos academy graduate could have gone down as one of Barca's greatest players ever had he not put money ahead of legacy when completing a world-record, €222m (£187m/$247m) move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 - he really was that good at Camp Nou.

    Neymar formed one-third of the devastatingly brilliant 'MSN' triumvirate alongside Messi and Suarez that lifted Barca to their second treble in 2014-15, but also stood out in his own right because of his exceptional playmaking qualities. At his best, Neymar was impossible to pin down; a composed, agile forward who ghosted past defenders effortlessly and could put the ball on a sixpence from anywhere on the pitch.

    It's frustrating that Neymar didn't have the mature head to match his superhuman skillset. Still, he managed to record 107 goals and 76 assists in just 186 games for Barca, and provided so many unforgettable moments, including a Man-of-the-Match showing in their record-breaking 6-1 'Remontada' win against PSG in the last-16 of the 2016-17 Champions League.

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    2Dani Alves

    Dani Alves became the world's finest right-back at Barcelona between 2008 and 2016, winning 19 trophies. Surprisingly strong for a small man, Alves was especially instrumental in Barca's Champions League triumphs under Guardiola and Luis Enrique, always giving the team an outlet with his explosive bursts down the right flank while striking up a telepathic rapport with Messi.

    Juventus lured Alves away from Barca in 2016, but he returned for a second spell at Camp Nou five years later and moved into second on the club's all-time appearances list for foreign players behind Messi. Alves featured in 408 games for the Blaugrana overall, scoring 22 goals and laying on 105 for his team-mates.

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    1Ronaldinho

    There has never been a footballer who embodies the carefree spirit of the beautiful game quite like Ronaldinho. He made everything on the pitch look easy and always played with a huge smile on his face, but was also a fierce competitor who relished testing himself against the best teams.

    Ronaldinho brought his Brazilian flair to Barca in 2003, opting to join the Catalan giants from PSG instead of Manchester United, and instantly endeared himself to supporters with a sublime long-range goal against Sevilla on his La Liga debut. Culers would soon come to expect something spectacular from Ronaldinho whenever he got on the ball, whether in the form of an unstoppable shot, a scarcely believable piece of skill, or a defensive-splitting pass from the tiniest pocket of space.

    Barca re-emerged as La Liga's most dominant team team with Ronaldinho pulling the strings and conquered the Champions League for the first time in 14 years. The Samba sensation's highlight reel from that period will probably never be bettered; from that wonder goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to his magnificent double in El Clasico that prompted the Bernabeu crowd to give him a standing ovation.

    "Prime Ronaldinho was phenomenal," Zlatan Ibrahimovic once said. "He made his opponents look like children." Had the toothy-grinned maestro not eventually succumbed to the partying lifestyle, he likely would have left Camp Nou with an even more impressive CV, but no other Brazilian player has ever brought more joy to the Barca faithful.