Former Spain And Barcelona Great Andres Iniesta Retires From Football

Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta announced his retirement on Tuesday after a glittering trophy-laden career spanning 24 years.

At 40 years old, Iniesta played a pivotal role in the midfield for both the Spain national team and Barcelona, contributing significantly to their period of remarkable success in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

“Please allow me to be a little emotional today,” a tearful Iniesta, who most recently played for Emirates Club in the United Arab Emirates, told a press conference.

“I never thought this day would come. I never imagined it. Yes, all these tears we have shed these days are tears of emotion, of pride. They are not tears of sadness.

“They are tears of that boy from a small town like Fuentealbilla, who had the dream of being a footballer and we achieved it after a lot of hard work, sacrifice… of never giving up, essential values in my life. I feel very proud of this path, with all the people who have accompanied me.”

The technically gifted Iniesta made 131 appearances for Spain and scored the decisive goal in the 2010 World Cup final, netting a last-minute strike that secured victory over the Netherlands and earned his country its first global title.

He also played a key role in Spain winning the 2008 European Championship to snap a 44-year trophy drought and was named player of the tournament when they successfully defended the title in 2012.

Born in the small village of Fuentealbilla, located less than an hour’s drive southeast of Madrid, Iniesta joined Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy at the age of 12. He went on to make 674 appearances for the Spanish club, serving as captain for three seasons.

A year before becoming Spain’s World Cup final hero, Iniesta worked his magic in a Champions League semi-final against Chelsea.

His brilliant shot deep in added time secured Barca a place in the final and they went on to lift the trophy, Pep Guardiola’s first European Cup triumph as a coach.

Iniesta won nine La Liga titles with Barcelona, along with four Champions League titles, six Copa del Rey trophies, two UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups.

Many of these achievements were alongside Xavi Hernandez, who is often regarded as a rival for the title of the greatest Spanish footballer of all time.

“One of the most magical teammates and one of those who I most enjoyed playing together, Andres Iniesta, the ball will miss you and so will we! I wish you all the best, you are a phenomenon,” former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi wrote on social media.

After finishing as the runner-up for the 2010 Ballon d’Or behind Messi, Iniesta concluded his illustrious career with Spain and Barcelona in 2018 and subsequently moved to Japan to play for Vissel Kobe.