15 seasons at Barça. Carles Puyol is that rare breed of a ‘one club man’, a central defender born in Pobla de Segur who joined the club when he was just 16 years old.

Two decades later at the age of 36, Puyol retired from professional football after winning absolutely everything. He won 21 titles in the blaugrana jersey and won the World Cup and European Championship with Spain.

His natural leadership and utter commitment to the club made him an obvious choice for captaincy in 2004 when he was still just 26 and had been in the senior team for just five years. Puyol was a fast, strong centre back, and he was outstanding in the air. He was a brilliant man marker and hugely disciplined, making him one of the hardest defenders a forward could face in his era. His breakthrough hour was the night that Luis Figo returned to Camp Nou in 2000 wearing the Madrid white. Puyol was breathing down the Portuguese player’s neck all game, and the latter barely got a look-in. After that night, a Barça line-up without Puyol became unthinkable. He won his first professional title in 2005, the Liga won at Levante. Under Frank Rijkaard, the team was reaching new heights and would go on to win only its second Champions League crown in Paris. In 2008, and following the arrival of Pep Guardiola, the Piqué-Puyol double act would become one of the finest defensive partnerships ever to grace the game. And in 2009 he was part of that legendary team that won all six possible titles, something never done before or after in European football. He retired in 2014 under the management of Tata Martino. His knee couldn’t take it any more, and despite his best efforts to soldier on, Carles Puyol decided the time had come to take his bow from the professional game.

Honours:

6 Ligas: (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2013)
2 Cups: (2009 & 2012)
3 Champions Leagues: (2006, 2009 & 2011)
2 European Super Cups (2009 & 2011)
2 Club World Cups (2009 & 2011)
6 Spanish Super Cups (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2013) 

World Cup for Spain in 2010
European Championship for Spain in 2008 

100 international caps for Spain