Carles Puyol was the fierce, unyielding heart of Barcelona’s defence and one of football’s great one-club servants, captaining the side through the most decorated period in its history. A centre-back who could also cover at full-back, he combined ferocious commitment, aerial strength and reading of the game with a leadership that set the tone for a golden generation.
He won a long run of La Liga titles and multiple Champions Leagues at the Camp Nou, marshalling a back line behind the tiki-taka sides of Pep Guardiola. With Spain he was a cornerstone of the team that won the 2010 World Cup and the European Championship, heading a crucial goal in the World Cup semi-final.
Wild-haired and endlessly combative, Puyol embodied a certain Catalan identity and remains one of the most respected defenders of the modern era.