Andres Iniesta, Barcelona Legend, Announces His Retirement From Professional Football

The dreaded day has arrived, as Spain and Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta announced his retirement from professional football on Monday.

The 2010 World Cup winner with Spain finally broke the silence on rumours, after teasing fans all over with a cryptic post last week.

In an emotional video shared online, captioned ‘The game will go on’, Iniesta finally opened up and announced his retirement from the game, bringing to end a decorated 22-year-long career, whilst also hinting at a possible future endeavor yet to be determined.

When asked what the game means to Iniesta, the former midfielder of La Roja and Barcelona was praised by the likes of his former bosses Luis Enrique, Arrigo Sacchi, Louis Van Gaal, Pep Guardiola, and Vicente Del Bosque.

“It reflects what we felt when we were kids on the street. When your mother called you, after dark when you no longer see the ball. ‘Come here! Come here!’ That’s Andres Iniesta,” stated Luis Enrique, the former Spanish football manager and current coach of Paris Saint-Germain.

‘Don Andres’, as he was lovingly called by the Barca faithful, may bring the curtains down on an illustrious career, that saw the 40-year-old make 674 appearances for the Blaugranas.

During his 18-year tenure, Iniesta won nine LaLiga titles, four Champions League trophies, three FIFA Club World Cups, six Copa del Rey titles, three UEFA Super Cups and seven Spanish Super Cups with Barcelona, leaving behind an unimitable legacy.

Making his way up to the first team of Barcelona from their acclaimed academy La Masia, Iniesta made his senior debut for the Catalans in October 2002 in a Champions League game against Club Brugge, aftet which it did not take much time for the Spaniard to establish himself as one of the best players in the world.

It was in 2018, when Iniesta decided to part ways with his boyhood club, opting to make a move to Vissel Kobe in Japan, with whom he spent 5 years, making 134 appearances for them.

As a last pitstop, Iniesta then took his talents to the UAE in 2023, where he represented Al-Wasl, only to end up partaking in a disappointing season that saw the club finish 13th in the league and get relegated.