Marc-Andre Ter Stegen cements legacy by matching La Liga title tally of five Barcelona icons | OneFootball

FC Barcelona clinched the La Liga title in style a few days ago, defeating city rivals Espanyol in a fiercely contested derby at the RCDE Stadium. In his first season in charge, Hansi Flick has worked wonders.

Barcelona wrapped up the La Liga title ahead of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in some style, playing an excellent, attacking brand of football that promised a lot of fun and goals. After years of mundane football, this season was a breath of fresh air for the Cules.

Most of the players in this squad are very young and are either winning their first-ever La Liga title or their second, with the previous one coming under Xavi Hernandez a couple of seasons ago. However, one player who has been there and done that multiple times is Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

A silent spectator

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was a spectator for much of this La Liga campaign. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

The German goalkeeper did not contribute much towards this championship, having been out injured for the majority of the campaign. However, he did play the first few games of the season when Barcelona were unbeaten in the league, and also played against Valladolid recently.

As per Mundo Deportivo, the club captain who moved to Barcelona in 2014-15 lifted his sixth La Liga title of his career. This puts him on the same pedestal as five other Blaugrana icons, including Pep Guardiola (as a player), Victor Valdes, Dani Alves, Jordi Alba, and Carles Puyol.

Not bad company, right? This means that only six players in Barcelona’s history have more La Liga titles than the German goalkeeper, and he will have a chance to keep climbing up this list in the coming seasons, hopefully!

Trailing behind Lionel Messi & co.

Lionel Messi leads the pack for most La Liga titles won as a Barcelona player. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Unsurprisingly, Leo Messi leads the pack with 10 titles to his name, followed by Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique, all with 9 and Xavi Hernandez and Sergi Roberto with 8 and 7 titles respectively.

This La Liga trophy marks the first Ter Stegen has lifted as club captain, a fitting honour for a player who’s spent nearly a decade with Barcelona through highs and lows. His leadership, though quieter than some, continues to be a cornerstone in the dressing room.

There are still questions surrounding his long-term role as Barcelona’s No. 1, especially after an injury-hit campaign. But with Hansi Flick set to rely on him next season, Ter Stegen will have the chance to silence doubters and continue climbing the club’s historical ladder.

He may not have featured prominently this season, but his legacy at Barcelona is already etched in silverware, and there’s every chance more is yet to come.