Following the Copa del Rey match this week against RCD Espanyol, Javier Mascherano has moved into the Top 5 foreign imports with the most appearances for FC Barcelona, where he is now tied on 257 matches with Patrick Kluivert. And the Argentinian is also just six games short of catching up with third placed Ronald Koeman (264).
The list only includes non-Spaniards that were signed as fully fledged professionals, so the likes of Leo Messi, who despite being foreign-born was a product of the club’s own academy, are not included.
Second place in the list belongs to yet another Dutchman, Phillip Cocu, who played 292 games for Barça, while the leader, and by some margin, is Dani Alves, who since joining the club in 2008 has 370 appearances (and still counting, of course).
Alves has won an incredible 21 major titles in his time at the club, where he has made the right-back position his own. Mascherano, meanwhile, who has excelled both as a defensive midfielder and centre-back, has been involved in 13 trophy conquests since he arrived at the Camp Nou in 2010.
