Barca’s fabled youth system has produced countless world-class talents over the past decade, so what has this production line so thick?
SPECIAL REPORT
There is no doubt that La Masia (Barcelona youth academy) has provided the base for perhaps the finest football team in history thanks to their technical excellence.
Since its inception in 1902, numerous players have made their way up through the ranks and turned out for Barca’s first team or have gone on to showcase their talents at leading European sides.
January 2011 represents a crowning moment in the club’s history with Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, all who learned their trade at La Masia, took their places on the 2010 Ballon d'Or podium, a feat never previously achieved by any other academy.