Thiago Alcantara was a joy to watch during his 15-year career as a senior professional. You don’t play for Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool, as well as the Spanish national team, unless you have bags of talent.
The cultured midfielder, who is the son of Brazilian 1994 World Cup winner Mazinho, made the game look effortlessly simple. He often appeared to have all the time in the world when the ball was at his feet, which is the mark of a truly special player.
Thiago ended his career after a four-year spell with Liverpool, aged just 33. Had it not been for injuries, there’s no doubt that he would have continued at one of Europe’s top clubs.
But he still won plenty of silverware along the way, including four La Liga titles and the Champions League with Barcelona; seven Bundesliga titles and the Champions League with Bayern Munich, and the FA Cup with Liverpool.
Thiago Names 3 Best Players He Played With
Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara
Thiago played alongside some of the greatest players of his generation in the process, including arguably the greatest of them all - Lionel Messi. However, the legendary Argentine was a surprising omission from Thiago’s list of the three best footballers he played with.
Speaking on the Peter Crouch Podcast, Thiago chose one player from each of the three clubs he represented when asked to name the best footballers he played with. Let’s take a closer look at his picks.
Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
Andres Iniesta Barcelona
While Andres Iniesta is unquestionably one of the greatest midfielders in history, it’s a surprise that Thiago chose the Spaniard over Messi.
“Barcelona, you could choose from the goalkeeper to the striker,” Thiago said. “But for sure, the understanding of the game, this kind of mix between tactical and talent was Andres Iniesta.
“We had Messi, Xavi, Busquets, we had a lot of great players. Iniesta was playing in my position and I mirrored myself into that player.”
Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich)
Philipp Lahm and Thiago tackle Cristiano Ronaldo
Philipp Lahm and Thiago tackle Cristiano Ronaldo
Philipp Lahm is one of the best right-backs in football history but also made playing in central midfield look effortless towards the end of his career. The German’s qualities made a huge impression on Thiago.
The Spaniard continued: “At Bayern Munich, we had Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, but I’m going back to my position. To see a player like Philipp Lahm… he was very consistent as a full-back. When he played in the middle, I was said: ‘This guy always plays in the middle, he was not a full-back!’. He surprised me a lot.”
Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)
Thiago and Roberto Firmino at Liverpool
Thiago and Roberto Firmino at Liverpool
Thiago played with many gifted players at Liverpool, including Mohamed Salah, but it’s Roberto Firmino who left him in awe.
He added: “Bobby Firmino… I was in love with that player. He puts his talent in the service of the team and he was so good on the ball.”