The world champion with Spain, Andres Iniesta, officially ended his football career at the age of 40.
Iniesta is regarded as one of the greatest footballers in history, thanks in part to his Spain and Barcelona midfield partnerships with Xavi Hernandez and Sergio Busquets over the years. He has 131 caps for the La Furia Roja national team, scoring the winning goal against the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final. In addition, Iniesta became European champions with the Iberians in 2008 and 2012.
"I never thought this day would come. I never imagined it. Yes, all these tears that flow these days are tears of emotion, of pride. Not out of sadness. They are the tears of that boy from the small town of Fuentealbilla who had a dream to become a football player and we achieved it after a lot of hard work, sacrifices, never giving up - important values in my life", he said today through tears.
Iniesta spent most of his 22-year career at Barcelona after coming through the Catalans' La Masia academy. He made his debut for the men's team in 2002 and won 29 trophies with the Blaugranas, including nine La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues.
In 2018, Iniesta joined Japan's Vissel Kobe, before playing in the UAE in 2023 for Emirates. He finished second in the race for the Ballon d'Or in 2010 and was a regular part of FIFA's Best XI for 9 years between 2009 and 2017. | BGNES
