Spanish and Barcelona legend Andrés Iniesta is preparing to retire from professional football at the age of 40. Widely regarded as one of the most influential midfielders in the history of the sport, the Spaniard will officially announce his retirement during a ceremony on October 8.
As reported by Relevo, Iniesta chose this particular date that coincides with his iconic shirt number. There had been speculation about the former Barcelona star potentially reuniting with Messi and Busquets at Inter Miami, but no move to MLS will take place.
A graduate of Barcelona's renowned academy, La Masia, Andrés Iniesta made 674 appearances for the senior team, netting 57 goals and providing 135 assists for the Blaugrana. During his time at the club, Iniesta secured 32 trophies, including nine La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies and six Copa del Rey victories. Basically, he has won every club-level trophies there is to win in his illustrious career.
With 131 caps for the Spanish national team, Andrés Iniesta is most famously remembered for scoring the decisive goal in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands, securing Spain’s first-ever World Cup title in South Africa. In addition to the World Cup, the 40-year-old also helped Spain win two European Championships in 2008 and 2012.
Iniesta is one of the select few players to have appeared in over 100 UEFA Champions League matches for a club, having played 130 games for Barcelona. Remarkably, Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the most appearances in Champions League history with 183 matches.
Following his lengthy career at Barcelona, Andrés Iniesta transferred to Japan to join J-League club Vissel Kobe, where he made 134 appearances, scoring 26 goals and providing 25 assists.
His last club was Emirates Club, which competes in the first tier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).