Former Spain and FC Barcelona midfielder Andrés Iniesta announced his retirement from football on Tuesday at the age of 40. The last club he played for was Emirates Club, which plays in the United Arab Emirates.
Technically very well prepared, Iniesta has played a large part of his career in the jersey of Catalan Barcelona. In total, he has played 622 games for the Blaugranas, scoring 55 goals. As a former club captain he lifted several trophies :
- 9x LaLiga
- 4x Champions League
- 3x UEFA Super Cup
- 6x Copa del Rey
- 3x FIFA Club World Cup ( Club Championship)
Andrés Iniesta was born in the small town of Fuentealbilla in the province of Albacete. He started his football career at the age of 12 in the FC Barcelona academy. He made his debut for the Blaugranas first team in 2002 at the age of 18. Since the 2004/2005 season, he has become a cornerstone of the roster. Together with his midfield partner Xavi Hernandez, they have formed an inseparable duo.
He has played 131 games for Spain, scoring 14 goals and was the hero of the 2010 World Cup final match, scoring the winning goal. In addition to winning the World Cup, he won the European Championship 2 times in 2008 and 2012.
In 2018, he left FC Barcelona and moved to the land of the rising sun – Japan. Vissel Kobe became his second home until 2023. The United Arab Emirates, where he played for Emirates Club, became the last destination of his career.
( video source: Youtube/ The Guardian)
