The rivalry between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona has heated up recently. From the front office to the supporters to the players, these two sides don’t like each other. Interestingly enough, though, both sides have shared many top-class players over the years.
PSG and Barcelona will renew their rivalry in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League this season. It’s a difficult one for those into sport betting, but the reigning Ligue 1 champions should be favored. Kylian Mbappé is in great form and in an instant, he can change the complexity of a match.
While Mbappé hasn’t suited up for Barcelona, and will likely join their rivals, Real Madrid, next season, plenty of world-class players have played for both sides. Here’s a look at some of the best.
Lionel Messi
We have to start with the GOAT. Lionel Messi joined PSG in 2021 in a surprise move when Barcelona simply couldn’t afford to keep him. He didn’t want to come to Paris and we found out later he was essentially miserable, but in two seasons, Messi scored 32 goals and recorded 35 assists in all competitions. He won Ligue 1 twice, but failed to propel PSG to Champions League glory.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic helped usher in the big-spending Qatar Sports Investments era. He joined PSG in 2012 from AC Milan, but earlier in his career, Ibrahimovic played for Barcelona. While his tenure in Catalonia was brief, the Sweden international 22 goals in 46 appearances for Barcelona. At PSG, his prolific goalscoring ability continued. In 180 appearances, Ibrahimovic scored 156 goals, many of which supporters still rave about.
Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho is arguably one of the best dribbles in the history of the game, and he burst onto the European scene with PSG in 2001. He only needed two seasons in the French capital before Barcelona took notice and paid €32.25 million transfer fee to bring Ronaldinho to Camp Nou.
Neymar Jr.
Following PSG’s historic 6-1 loss to Barcelona in 2017, PSG set their targets on Neymar Jr. The Brazilian sensation was part of the Barcelona squad that humiliated PSG in the Champions League, but he was now looking to get out from under Messi’s shadow and win trophies on his own. PSG paid a record €222 million to satisfy Neymar’s buyout and brought him to the French capital. Neymar scored 118 goals during his time in Paris, but injuries limited his availability in the biggest matches and PSG eventually had to move on from their record signing in 2023.
