In the early 1970s, there was not a better football player in the world than Johan Cruyff. The Dutch striker was a scoring machine and playmaking magician for club and country. After winning three European Cups (now UEFA Champions League) with Ajax where he tallied 190 goals in 240 matches, Cruyff joined FC Barcelona in 1973. In his first season, "The Flying Dutchman” led the famed Spanish club to its first La Liga title since 1960, crushing bitter rival Real Madrid, 5-0, at Santiago Bernabeu. He then took the Netherlands to the 1974 FIFA World Cup Final against West Germany. Johan received the Golden Ball award (World Cup Player of the Tournament) and went on to claim his third Ballon d'Or trophy (FIFA World Player of the Year) in a four-year span. In his five seasons with Barca (1973-78), Cruyff netted 60 goals and provided 83 assists in 180 matches. He later became FCB’s most successful manager in history with an eight-year run (1988-96) that delivered the Catalans eleven trophies (later surpassed by Pep Guardiola).

Presented here is Cruyff's FC Barcelona match-worn home jersey from the 1974-75 campaign. The short-sleeved shirt in Barca’s classic burgundy and blue stripes has the iconic "F.C.B." embroidered team crest on the left chest and Cruyff's number "9" sewn on the back in white. Properly tagged by Spanish apparel maker Juan Casabella within the collar (size 4), it has a ribbed V-neck and ribbed sleeve ends. Overall, the cotton-feeling fabric displays "heavy" wear (according to MEARS) from La Liga, Copa del Ray, and European Cup matches.

In 1999, Cruyff was voted "European Player of the Century" by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics and ranked second behind Pelé in their "World Player of the Century" poll. In the latest IFFHS poll for the greatest footballers of all time, Cruyff is listed fifth behind Messi, Pelé, Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo. The famous aerial goal he scored in December 1973 against Atlético Madrid, known as “The Phantom Goal" and "El Gol Imposible", cemented The Flying Dutchman as a Barca legend forever. His accomplishments as player and manager (Ajax and Barca) earned him status as one of the sport’s most prominent figures and ambassadors. This Cruyff FCB jersey from the greatest year of his playing career should be displayed in a world football museum. It comes with full authentication paperwork from MEARS.