Andres Iniesta has officially announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 40.
Andres Iniesta Officially Calls Time On His Stellar Playing Career
Iniesta confirmed his retirement from football via a video shared across his social media accounts.
Andres Iniesta was seen emotional in the footage shared on his socials where he was questioned on what football meant to him.
The Spaniard remained mute over the question, with the video showing several football stars pouring encomium on the midfielder.
Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola, and Louis Van Gaal, amongst other prominent individuals, all had great words to say about Iniesta, lauding his character, knowledge, and outstanding footballing ability.
FIFA Appreciate Andres Iniesta For His Contributions To Football, Lionel Messi Reacts To The Spaniard’s Retirement
The footage, which included images of Andres Iniesta during his childhood, was captioned with the words which read: “The game will go on,” and several top stars alongside the institution also reacted to the post.
The governing body of football, FIFA, commented on the post on X (formerly known as Twitter), with the words which read: “Thanks for everything! ❤️”
Spanish side Real Zaragoza also wrote: “Thank you for so many years of talent for all of Spanish football, Andres! 🇪🇸⚽”
Lionel Messi also reacted to the retirement of Andres Iniesta, writing on his Instagram story:
“One of the teammates with the most magic and one of those I enjoyed playing with the most. The ball is going to miss you, and so will all of us.
“I wish you the best always, you’re a phenomenon”.
Iniesta, who is widely considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time, is retiring after representing just 3 teams in his career, namely; Barcelona, Vissel Kobe, and Emirates Club.
The Last Match Iniesta Played In His Career?
Andres Iniesta’s last football game was on June 1, 2024, a clash involving Emirates Club and Al Bataeh.
The former Spain international was a second-half substitute for Emirates Club in the affair, as he replaced Ahmad Essa Juma in the 66th minute.
Iniesta was lauded for his balance, ball control, and agility in close spaces, combined with his skill, composure, and flair on the ball.
Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez And Sergio Busquets
Andres Iniesta spent most of his playing career at Barcelona, where he played a major role in the club’s success along with his midfield partners Sergio Busquets and Xavi Hernandez, who retired from football in 2019 and is now into football management.
The 40-year-old is the second player in the Xavi-Iniesta-Busquets midfield trident to call time on their respective careers, with the latter being the only player still involved with active football.
The breathtaking trio also delineated brilliance in the Spain national team, helping the country win Euro 2008 and 2012 alongside the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Andres Iniesta And Spain
Andres Iniesta, who was a key member of La Roja set up in several major international tournaments, is the only player in history to have been named Man of the Match in the finals of the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, and the UEFA European Championship.
Iniesta represented Spain at the FIFA World Cup on 4 occasions alongside 3 tournament appearances at EUROs.
The former Vissel Kobe man also donned the colors of Spain at under 17, 19, 20, and 21 levels.
Andres Iniesta Career Stats?
Andres Iniesta made 131 appearances for the national team of Spain, scoring 14 goals and providing 30 assists.
In terms of club career appearances, Iniesta featured in 885 matches, scoring 93 goals and providing 161 assists in all competitions.
Andres Iniesta Net Worth?
Iniesta’s net worth is estimated to be between the region of €110 million – €115 million.
Andres Iniesta Nuclear Family?
Iniesta, who was born on May 11, 1984, and graduated through the ranks of the La Masia academy to the first team of Barcelona, is married to Anna Ortiz. The couple started dating in 2008 and then tied the knot on the 8th of July in 2012.
Their union has been blessed with five children, three daughters and two sons. Their first girl, Valeria Iniesta Ortiz, was born in 2011, and the second was born in 2017; her name is Siena Iniesta.
In February 2023, they welcomed to the world their fifth child, a bouncing baby girl, whose name is unknown.
