Sergio Busquets, 2010 World Cup champion and captain of Spain, has declared his retirement from international football.
The 34-year-old midfielder led the team that was eliminated in the round of 16 this year, 12 years after winning the 2010 World Cup and 10 years after winning the 2012 European Championship.
“After almost 15 years and 143 matches, the moment has arrived to bid farewell to the national team,” he wrote on social media.
“It has been an honor to represent my national team and help lift it higher.”
Along with Andres Iniesta and Xavi, Busquets is the final member of the renowned Barcelona Spanish midfield trio to declare his retirement from international competition.
In a World Cup qualifying match against Turkey on April 1, 2009, he made his debut for Spain. He then played in four World Cups and three European Championships.
His whole playing career has been spent with Barcelona, where he has appeared for them nearly 700 times and won numerous awards, including eight La Liga championships and three Champions Leagues.
At the World Cup in Qatar, Busquets led Spain as its captain. In Spain’s unexpected round of 16 shootout loss to Morocco, he was one of three players to miss a penalty.
As the lone survivor of South Africa’s world champion team still competing for his nation, the Barcelona defensive midfielder represents the end of an era for Spain.
The only active Spanish player who won the Euro 2012 championship is Jordi Alba.
When he lined up for both club and country with Andrรฉs Iniesta and Xavi Hernรกndez, the lanky Busquets was a crucial component of Barcelona’s and Spain’s victories.
Busquets was a footballer who stood out for being unorthodox. He wasn’t particularly quick or a scoring danger, but his ability to pass in confined spaces, his long legs that boxed in opponents, and his remarkable ability to keep possession under duress made him an invaluable player for all of his coaches.
His attributes contributed significantly to the “tiki-taka” passing strategy used by Spain and Barcelona.
Luis Rubiales, the head of the Spanish soccer association, also complimented Busquets for being a “quiet, serene leader who was admired by everyone.”
Sergio Busquets
Sergio Busquets Burgos is a Spanish professional footballer who competes for La Liga team Barcelona as a defensive midfielder. He was born on July 16, 1988.
He is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of all time and is believed to be a deep-lying playmaker capable of controlling gameplay through short, calm passes, exceptional positioning, and his unique understanding of the game.
He joined Barcelona’s first team in July 2008 as a one-club player. He has now played more than 600 times for the team and has collected 30 trophies, including 8 La Liga championships, 7 Copa del Rey championships, and 3 UEFA Champions Leagues.
He was a member of their teams in 2008โ09 and 2014โ15 that captured the continental treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and UEFA Champions League.
In April 2009, Busquets made his senior international debut for Spain. Since then, he has played in over 140 matches for his country.
He participated in three further World Cups and two European Championships, and he assisted his nation in winning the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 competitions.
Busquets led his country’s squad as its captain during the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
He missed a chance in the round of 16 penalty shootouts against Morocco, which resulted in a loss after a scoreless draw in regular time.
Sergio confirmed his retirement from international football on December 16, 2022, after 143 appearances over a 15-year span.
How Good Is Busquets?
Busquets, who is capable of playing as a central defense but is typically used as either a central or defensive midfielder, is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation and one of the greatest holding midfielders of all time.
He is a dedicated player who, despite his lack of speed, succeeds at intercepting loose balls and dissecting opposing plays thanks to his positional knowledge, defensive qualities, tackling, tactical intelligence, and ability to read the game.
He rarely gives the ball away because of his vision, ball control, physical prowess, technical skills, calm composure on the ball, and accurate passing ability.
Along with some of his former midfield teammates, like Iniesta, Xavi, and Ivan Rakiti, he has also played a crucial creative role in establishing the tempo of his team’s play in midfield as a deep-lying playmaker.
Relationship and Personal Life
Carles Busquets, Busquets’ father, played football as well. He was a goalkeeper with Barcelona for a number of seasons in the 1990s, primarily serving as a backup.
Sergio Busquets and Elena Galera started dating in 2014. Two sons were born to them in 2016 and 2018.
He had a tattoo in Arabic on his left forearm that read, “A thing for you, the life in my nation,” honoring his maternal grandpa, with whom he had a close relationship.
