One former Barcelona star now looks completely unrecognisable after a rare image emerged on social media.

Being one of the greatest clubs in world football, Barcelona have been home to many big-name players over the years, including the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol and Ronaldinho. Meanwhile, there have also been lesser-known players who have put on the famous Blaugrana shirt.

Over the years, many players who once produced magic on the pitch have gone on to live a very different life, with some now looking slightly different to when they were at the peak of their career.

Recently, a picture of a former Barcelona star has gone viral on social media, as he looks almost unrecognisable compared to when he was playing for the La Liga giants.

Former Barcelona Star Looks Unrecognisable as Rare Image Emerges

The player in question is Giovani Dos Santos, who was spotted playing padel with his two brothers in a recent photo that quickly circulated across social media.

Dos Santos, 37, joined Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy back in 2002, at the age of 13. After impressing at youth level, the Mexican made his senior team debut in 2007 when he replaced Thierry Henry during a victory over Athletic Bilbao.

The attacker went on to play 38 matches for Barcelona before joining Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, making 33 appearances and scoring three goals.

After what was a tough spell with Spurs, Dos Santos played for clubs such as Ipswich Town, Galatasaray, Racing Santander, Mallorca, Villarreal, LA Galaxy and Club America.

Since retiring from football in 2021 at the age of just 32, Dos Santos has chosen to live his life away from the public eye. According to Mexican news outlet Record, the 37-year-old has transitioned into the business world.

As reported by The Sun in 2024, Dos Santos is believed to have invested in Procura Mexico, a company part of the country’s oil giant Pemex; he is reportedly earning around £400,000 per year from Latin America’s second-largest oil firm.

A source told the publication: “According to our information, his new job brings him in four-to-five hundred thousand dollars a year – over 10 million Mexican pesos.”

It has also been reported by AS that Dos Santos has earned big money by running a luxury-car buying and selling business.

During his time as a player, Dos Santos represented Mexico 106 times, scoring 19 goals in the process. He was also part of the squad that won the gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics, where they beat Brazil 2-1 in the final.