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Former Barcelona players that arrived in the MLS, a list full of stars

By Wilian Estrella

Since the creation of the current MLS, a total of 13 players have played for Barça and ended up playing in MLS, here are some of the best.

Since the creation of the current MLS, a total of 13 players have played for Barça and ended up playing in MLS, here are some of the best.

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Riqui Puig's, once his move to the L.A. Galaxy has been officially confirmed, is the latest case of players who passed through the ranks of FC Barcelona (or its youth academy) and then, at some point in their careers, tried their hand at the American adventure in MLS.

Before the creation of the U.S. professional league, as it is currently known, in 1996, also passed through the American league, to close their respective careers, 'cracks' as Johan Cruyff, although the players who played in the American league before that year has not been included in this list.

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Rafael Marquez, the Mexican center back played for FC Barcelona for 7 seasons (winning 2 Champions League titles), but after leaving the azulgrana team he wanted to try the American experience, accompanying Thierry Henry in the NY Red Bulls for a couple of seasons.  He played 44 games in the American league and scored one goal, before returning to his country to retire with Atlas.

Frenchman Thierry Henry joined FC Barcelona after a lifetime at Arsenal. Under Pep Guardiola he won the 'Sextete' in 2009, but at the end of the 2009-10 season the Frenchman headed to MLS where he played for the New York Red Bulls until he retired in 2014, with a brief return to Arsenal in January 2012. With the New York franchise he played 122 games, scoring 51 goals and providing 35 assists.

Along with Bojan Krkic, Giovani dos Santos was one of the great promises of the azulgrana club before the arrival of Pep Guardiola, who did not want to count on him. after spending time at Tottenham, Ipswich Town, Galatasaray, Racing, Mallorca and Villarreal, in 2015 he landed at the L.A. Galaxy, where he stayed until 2019 (77 games and 25 goals), when he decided to return 'home', in the ranks of Club America.

Ibrahimovic set a precedent to his move to Galaxy

The Swede has been, throughout his long career, a real 'globetrotter' and, among the 9 teams in which the great Ibrahimovic has played, are FC Barcelona (he only played in 2009-10 and the 2010 Spanish Super Cup) and the L.A. Galaxy, a team in which he played for a couple of years, between 2018 and 2019. In the Angelina franchise he signed spectacular numbers: 52 goals and 14 assists in only 56 games, before returning to AC Milan (he already played there after leaving FC barcelona), where he still plays today, at the age of 40.

 

 


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