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Andrés Iniesta

April 04, 2023

For the Spanish Olympic wrestler, see Andrés Iniesta (wrestler).
Not to be confused with Andrés Iniestra.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Iniesta and the second or maternal family name is Luján.

Andrés Iniesta Luján (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈdɾes iˈnjesta luˈxan]; born 11 May 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder and is the captain of J1 League club Vissel Kobe. Considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time,[3][4][5] Iniesta has spent most of his career at Barcelona, where he served as the captain for three seasons.

Andrés Iniesta
Iniesta with Spain in 2017
Personal information
Full name Andrés Iniesta Luján[1]
Date of birth (1984-05-11) 11 May 1984 (age 38)[1]
Place of birth Fuentealbilla, Spain
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Vissel Kobe
Number 8
Youth career
1994–1996 Albacete
1996–2001 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2003 Barcelona B 49 (5)
2002–2018 Barcelona 442 (35)
2018– Vissel Kobe 110 (21)
International career
2000 Spain U15 2 (0)
2000–2001 Spain U16 7 (1)
2001 Spain U17 4 (0)
2001–2002 Spain U19 7 (1)
2003 Spain U20 7 (3)
2003–2006 Spain U21 18 (6)
2004–2005 Catalonia 2 (0)
2006–2018 Spain 131 (13)
Honours
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:20, 5 November 2022 (UTC)

Iniesta came through La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, after an early migration from his birthplace, and impressed from an early age. He made his first-team debut aged 18 in 2002. He began playing regularly during the 2004–05 season and remained in the team until 2018. Iniesta was an integral part of the Barcelona sides that won two historic trebles in 2009 and 2015, and his 35 trophies, which includes nine La Ligas and four UEFA Champions League titles, make him the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time.[6] After 22 years at Barcelona, Iniesta signed for Japanese club Vissel Kobe in 2018.

Iniesta played for Spain at the Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 levels before making his international debut in 2006. He helped Spain win UEFA Euro 2008, playing every game and being selected in the Team of the Tournament. Iniesta was also a key member of the victorious Spanish team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands, for which he was named the Man of the Match, and was selected to the tournament's All-Star Team. At UEFA Euro 2012, Iniesta led Spain to their second consecutive continental crown, again being chosen as the Man of the Match of the final against Italy, and was named the Player of the Tournament.

Iniesta has been named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI nine times and was chosen in the UEFA Team of the Year on six occasions. He was named in the All-time UEFA Euro XI. He won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in 2012 and was named the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker in 2012 and 2013. Iniesta was runner-up to Lionel Messi for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or and achieved third place in 2012.

Club career

FC Barcelona

Early career

Iniesta comes from Fuentealbilla, a small village in the province of Albacete, Castile–La Mancha, where he mostly played futsal due to the lack of football pitches in the village.[7] At the age of 12, while playing for Albacete Balompié in a junior seven-a-side tournament in Albacete, he attracted the attention of scouts from clubs around Spain.[8] His parents knew Barcelona's youth team coach, Enrique Orizaola, and he persuaded them to consider sending Iniesta to the Barcelona youth academy. Iniesta traveled there with his parents and visited La Masia, the farmhouse where the club houses its young players; the trip convinced them to enroll Iniesta in the Barcelona youth ranks.[9]

"Receive, pass, offer, receive, pass, offer."

—Iniesta on La Masia education of ball retention, passing and using space[10]

Iniesta says he "cried rivers" the day he left for La Masia and struggled being separated from his parents;[11] he was very shy and kept to himself while there.[12] He captained the Barcelona Under-15 team to victory in the Nike Premier Cup of 1999, scoring the winning goal in the last minute of the final, and was named player of the tournament. Just after Iniesta arrived at the club, then-captain Pep Guardiola famously told fellow midfielder Xavi: "You're going to retire me. This lad [Iniesta] is going to retire us all."[13]

2004–2008

 
Iniesta with Barcelona in 2006

Iniesta joined the first team during the tenure of Radomir Antić. On 29 October 2002, he made his first team debut in a 1–0 away win against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League group stage. In the 2004–05 season, he featured in 37 out of 38 league games—more than any other player—although 25 of these were substitute appearances. He scored twice as Barcelona won La Liga.[14] An injury to Xavi at the start of the 2005–06 season allowed Iniesta more regular starts in the centre of midfield, and he continued to improve and develop.[15] He played in 11 UEFA Champions League games, including a half-time appearance in the 2006 final, to replace Edmílson.[16] His contribution to the team was praised by manager Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona won a league and Champions League double.[17]

The 2006–07 season saw Iniesta's profile continue to rise and he earned plaudits for his willingness to play in any position for his team. In the pre-season, he lifted the Joan Gamper Trophy as the captain of the team after a 4–0 victory over German side Bayern Munich. Iniesta played for the first time as a left wing-forward for Barça in two Champions League matches against Levski Sofia, finding the net twice. In the first knockout stage of the same competition, he played in central midfield against Liverpool. Despite being moved around the pitch by manager Rijkaard, the 2006–07 season remains Iniesta's highest scoring thus far.

With the departure of Ludovic Giuly ahead of the 2007–08 campaign, Iniesta was able to switch his number 24 shirt for his preferred number 8.[18] Despite rumours of a possible transfer before the season,[19] he extended his contract to 2014 on 25 January 2008,[20] with his buy-out clause being raised to €150 million.[21] Don Balón, a member of European Sports Magazines, named Iniesta one of the most consistent performers in the previous two seasons of La Liga; he placed fifth in 2006–07 and fourth in 2007–08.[22][23] He also placed ninth in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year voting, gaining 37 total points.[24]

2008–09

At the start of the 2008–09 season, in September 2008, Iniesta was elected the fourth-choice captain behind, in order of preference, Carles Puyol, Xavi and Víctor Valdés; all four were products of the Barcelona youth system.[25] His performances throughout the season were highly lauded, and he received standing ovations both in Barcelona at the Camp Nou, as well as from rival supporters in away matches.[26] A leg injury sustained in mid-November 2008 left Iniesta sidelined until 3 January; initially expected to return to action in six weeks, he did not want to come back until he was 100 percent. Upon his return to action on 3 January, as a 65th-minute substitute against Mallorca, he scored a crucial goal after just ten minutes on the pitch and completed a Barcelona comeback in front of the Camp Nou.[27] 3 days later, he captained Barcelona for the first time in an official match, a 3–1 victory against Atlético Madrid at the Vicente Calderón in the round-of-16 first leg of the Copa del Rey.

Iniesta sustained another injury during a home match against Málaga, but returned to action for the first leg Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich on 8 April, which Barcelona won 4–0.[28] He scored a vital equaliser in the final minute of stoppage time during the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea, with a curling strike with the outside of his right foot 25 yards from goal, securing the tie on away goals as the match finished 1–1 at Stamford Bridge.[29] In the season review, Un Any Al Paradis, Iniesta wrote, "I connected with that shot with the outside, not the inside or the tip of my boot, but right from my heart, with all my might."[30]

"I knew I would play injured and do more damage. For 17 days, all I thought about was the final in Rome and winning, even knowing that I would do more damage. I'd repeat it, for sure. I love this club and my profession and I wanted to win. If we had lost the final that would have been a total disaster."

—Iniesta on the victorious 2009 UEFA Champions League Final[31]

Iniesta's goal against Chelsea sent Barcelona through to the final in Rome against defending champions Manchester United. Prior to the final, United manager Alex Ferguson identified Iniesta as Barça's biggest threat: "He's fantastic. He makes the team work. The way he finds passes, his movement and ability to create space is incredible. He's so important for Barcelona."[11] Despite a thigh injury, Iniesta played and was influential in the game, providing the assist for the first goal scored by Samuel Eto'o as his team went on to win 2–0.[32] In his analysis, David Pleat wrote, "In the end the midfield artistry of Iniesta and Xavi, helped by [Lionel] Messi, was the critical factor."[33] After the game, United striker Wayne Rooney described Iniesta as the best player in the world.[34]

Iniesta received plaudits for his performances that season; Don Balón rated him as the league's most consistent performer.[35] Later that year, he placed fifth for the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year award, with 134 votes,[36] and fourth for the Ballon d'Or, receiving 149 points.[37] Barcelona extended his contract by one year, until 2015, and raised his buy-out clause to €200 million.[38]

2009–2012

Barcelona won a second successive league title in the 2009–10 season, securing a record 99 points. Individually, however, Iniesta endured a campaign largely disrupted by recurring injuries. He missed pre-season fitness training due to the thigh tear suffered in the 2009 Champions League final.[39] Despite featuring in almost as many matches as the previous season, he did so mostly as a substitute, starting only 20 games throughout.[40] His season came to a premature end in April after he aggravated a previous calf injury during training.[41]

 
Iniesta playing against Rubin Kazan in the UEFA Champions League, October 2009

A contributing factor of Iniesta's fractured season were the episodes of psychological instability he suffered privately following the death of his close friend Daniel Jarque, a fellow footballer, in August 2009. Even when physically fit, he was often unable to complete training sessions or exert himself. After seeking psychological help, including from psychologist Inma Puig,[42] he experienced catharsis when he scored Spain's match-winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, which he dedicated to Jarque by revealing the message "Dani Jarque, always with us" written on his undershirt.[43] "I did it because I felt it deeply," Iniesta said at the time. "It showed that what is more important than rivalry, your team or your colours is to be human and a good person. I am delighted because it was the most important moment in my career."[44] Regarding the recurrent injuries that plagued his season, he said, "It was hard, but I will start with more desire than ever."[44]

Iniesta scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season during the opening league fixture against Racing de Santander, lobbing the ball into the net from a distance of 30 yards.[45] Throughout the campaign, he received standing ovations from opposition fans, including at El Sardinero and the Vicente Calderón Stadium, in appreciation of his World Cup-winning goal.[46] Another standing ovation came on the home pitch of Espanyol in the Derbi barceloní, with the crowd acknowledging his friendship with Daniel Jarque, Espanyol's captain at the time of his death.[47] Iniesta was one of the three finalists for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or alongside Xavi and Messi, placing as runner-up behind the Argentine.[48]

Iniesta started the 2011–12 season by scoring the opening goal in the second leg of the Supercopa de España against rivals Real Madrid. Barcelona went on to win the match 3–2 and the cup 5–4 on aggregate. One of his best goals followed in October against Viktoria Plzeň in the Champions League group stage after an interchange of passes with Messi. Iniesta played a record 51 matches unbeaten in La Liga, concluding with Barcelona's 2–0 defeat of Mallorca on 24 March.[49] In the Champions League, he ended a goal drought by scoring a vital goal against Milan in the quarter-finals. From there, he went on to score in the semi-final against Chelsea to make the scoreline 2–0, but the match ended 2–2, eliminating his team 3–2 on aggregate. Towards the end of the year, on 25 November, Iniesta was named man of the match after scoring one goal and providing three assists in a 4–0 win over Levante.[50] His performances earned him third place in the voting of the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or.[51]

 
Iniesta lifting the 2015 UEFA Super Cup trophy

2013–2018

Iniesta signed a new contract with Barcelona in December 2013, keeping him at the club until 2018.[52] As vice-captain, he regularly captained Barça throughout the club's second treble-winning campaign of the 2014–15 season, and became captain after Carles Puyol's retirement and Xavi's departure. Iniesta scored three times during the team's Copa del Rey campaign,[53] and was man of the match in the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final, having assisted Ivan Rakitić's opening goal in the 3–1 defeat of Italian champions Juventus at Berlin's Olympiastadion.[54] Their European victory made Barcelona the first club in history to win the treble of domestic league, domestic cup and European Cup twice;[55] Iniesta was among the seven players to have been a part of both treble-winning teams.[55]

During the first Clásico of the 2015–16 season, on 21 November, Iniesta became only the third Barcelona player, after Diego Maradona in 1983 and Ronaldinho in 2005, to receive applause from Real Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabéu.[56] His man-of-the-match performance included a goal and an assist, contributing to a resounding 4–0 victory.[57]

He signed a lifetime contract with Barcelona on 6 October 2017, effectively keeping him with the club for the remainder of his career.[58] He played the 650th game of his career for Barcelona against Levante on 7 January 2018, he was replaced by André Gomes after 76 minutes as the game ended 3–0 in favour of Barcelona.[59]

Despite signing a lifetime contract, on 27 April 2018, Iniesta announced he would be leaving Barcelona by the end of the season.[60] He made his 674th and final appearance for Barcelona on 20 May, in the final league match of the season, a 1–0 home victory over Real Sociedad, as Barcelona celebrated the victory of their 25th league and 30th Copa del Rey title; he came off in the 81st minute for Paco Alcácer.[61]

Vissel Kobe

On 24 May 2018, Japanese club Vissel Kobe announced the signing of Iniesta on a three-year deal.[62] He made his debut on 22 July, coming on as a second-half substitute for Kazuma Watanabe in a 0–3 defeat against Shonan Bellmare.[63] On 11 August 2018, Iniesta scored his first goal in the J1 League in a 2–1 win over Jubilo Iwata.[64]

On 21 December 2019, he scored the opening goal in a 3–1 win over Shimizu S-Pulse in the semi final of the 2019 Emperor's Cup.[65] On 1 January 2020, he won his first trophy in Japan, starting in Vissel Kobe's 2–0 victory over Kashima Antlers in the final of the 2019 Emperor's Cup.[66] A month later, he also won the 2020 Japanese Super Cup.[67] On 7 December 2020, Iniesta suffered a tear of the rectus femoris muscle during a 2–0 win in the round of 16 of the 2020 AFC Champions League against Shanghai SIPG, in which he also scored the first goal of the game.[68] He had a successful surgery in Barcelona a few days later.[69]

On 11 May 2021, Iniesta signed a contract extension with Vissel Kobe, keeping him at the club for another two seasons.[70] On 11 November 2021, he was named J.League Monthly MVP after scoring three league goals in October.[71] He was named in the 2021 J.League Best XI on 6 December 2021.[72]

On 14 May 2022, Iniesta scored a goal and guided Vissel Kobe to first league win of the 2022 season in a 4–0 win over Sagan Tosu.[73]

International career

2001–2008

Iniesta burst on to the international scene in 2001, helping Spain win the UEFA European Under-16 Championship. After representing his country at the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Trinidad and Tobago,[74] he was in the squad that claimed the UEFA European Under-19 Championship the following year. From then, he became a regular choice for youth coach Juan Santisteban. In 2003, he was part of the side that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship final in the United Arab Emirates, and was named in the FIFA all-star team.[75] During his spell with the Spain U21 side, Iniesta was named captain on several occasions.

Iniesta was called up to represent the senior Spain squad at the 2006 FIFA World Cup on 15 May 2006, much to the surprise of many. He won his first cap for La Furia Roja when he was brought on at half-time in a friendly against Russia on 27 May.[75] His first goal followed in a friendly against England on 7 February 2007. His long-range effort, hitting the underside of the crossbar on the way in, gave Spain the lead on 63 minutes. Iniesta played a pivotal part in Spain's qualification for UEFA Euro 2008 by scoring goals against Sweden and by assisting the strikers.

2008–2012

 
Iniesta playing for Spain in September 2013

Iniesta was selected in Spain's squad for UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. Though a stomach ailment somewhat hampered his performances in the group stages, he still played an integral part in the midfield. He played in the first two of Spain's group stage matches and proved an important part of the team, providing a pass for David Villa's second goal against Russia. He was not rested, unlike most of Spain's regulars, for the final group game against Greece, which Spain won 2–1 thanks to a volley from Rubén de la Red and a late winner from Daniel Güiza. Iniesta returned for the quarter-final as Spain beat Italy on penalties; he was substituted before the penalty shootout itself. In the semi-final against Russia, he played the entire 90 minutes and produced a cross that Xavi converted to open the scoring in an eventual 3–0 victory;[76] he was subsequently named the Man of the Match.[77] He played the duration of the final in Spain's 1–0 win over Germany. Iniesta was named in the Team of the Tournament alongside fellow Spain midfielders Xavi, Marcos Senna and six other teammates. Iniesta did not participate in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa due to a thigh muscle injury; Spain was eliminated from the tournament at the semi-final stage.[78]

Iniesta was selected for Spain in the 2010 World Cup and scored the second goal in a 2–1 group stage win against Chile. He was also named man of the match.[79] For his excellent performances in helping Spain reach the final of the tournament, Iniesta was shortlisted for the Golden Ball award.[80] During the final, he scored the winning goal in the 116th minute of a 1–0 win against Netherlands.[81] He earned a yellow card for removing his jersey during his ecstatic goal celebration to reveal his message to his late friend Dani Jarque.[82][83] He won the man of the match award for his performance in the final, which gave Spain its first-ever World Cup.[84]

At UEFA Euro 2012, Iniesta was awarded the man of the match award for his performances in three different matches. He was also selected as man of the match in the final against Italy, which Spain won 4–0. In winning the award, Iniesta became the only Spanish player to win the award at least once in each of Spain's three consecutive successful tournaments.[85] Iniesta was also chosen as the UEFA Euro 2012 Player of the Tournament.[86]

 
Iniesta with Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

2013–2018

At the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, Iniesta was named in the Team of the Tournament and awarded the Silver Ball for the second best player in the competition, as Spain finished runner-up to host nation Brazil.[87] Iniesta started all three matches for Spain at the 2014 World Cup, winning his 100th cap in the team's final group match against Australia.[88] At the UEFA Euro 2016, he assisted the only goal of the match against Czech Republic and put in a man of the match display to give Spain a winning start in the tournament.[89] He started in all four Spain's matches and were later knocked out by Italy in the Round of 16.

In May 2018, Iniesta was named in Spain's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[90] He started in all three matches of the group stage, making an assist for Isco in the 2–2 draw against Morocco on 25 June 2018. He came off the bench in the 67th minute in Spain's last match at the tournament against Russia on 1 July 2018 for the round of 16. After the loss in the penalty shoot-outs, Iniesta announced his retirement from international duty.[91] He amassed 131 senior international caps for Spain and at the time of retiring was the nation's fourth-most-capped player of all time, behind only Iker Casillas, Xavi, and Sergio Ramos.[92]

Style of play and reception

 
Iniesta on the ball for Barcelona against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012

Like fellow La Masia graduate Cesc Fàbregas, Iniesta originally started as a defensive midfielder,[93] but his balance, ball control and agility in close spaces, allied with his skill, composure, and flair on the ball, saw him make progress as an attacking midfielder. Beyond his raw talent that was spotted at a young age by Barcelona's scouts, it was his great versatility, work ethic and inventiveness that allowed him to stake a claim on a first-team place at the age of 18.[94][95][96] Vicente del Bosque described him as "A complete footballer. He can attack and defend, he creates and scores," and Frank Rijkaard said, "I played him as a false winger, central midfielder, deep midfielder and just behind the striker and he was always excellent."[11] He was used initially as a wide-forward in the absence of Juan Román Riquelme and Ronaldinho by Louis van Gaal and Rijkaard respectively, but made his name as a world-class player in central midfield alongside or in lieu of Xavi, at both club and international level. As FIFA.com says, "It is in this position that his direct style and quick feet can be used to full effect, with the ball seeming glued to his toes as he races into threatening positions." A diminutive midfielder, Iniesta is a player known for his passing, technique, vision and movement;[11][97][98] he is also highly regarded for his ability to read the game, as well as his acceleration, and close control at speed, which — when combined with his low centre of gravity — has rendered him one of the most skilled dribblers of all time,[99] by allowing him to change direction quickly, get past opponents, and undertake individual runs with the ball, despite not being particularly quick. Moreover, his former manager Guardiola has praised him for "his mastery of the relationship between space and time," which he utilises to his advantage in order to disorient opposing players when in possession.[95][100][101][102][103][104] His signature move is La Croqueta – a move pioneered by Michael Laudrup and popularised by Iniesta – where he quickly pushes the ball from his right foot to his left which takes the ball away from an opponent, allowing him to get out of a tight situation.[105] His role has also been likened to that of a mezzala, in Italian football jargon, namely an offensive–minded box–to-box or central midfielder.[106]

"The one who plays this game the best is Iniesta: he knows exactly when to go forward and when to drop back. He picks the right moment to do everything: when to dribble, when to speed things up and when to slow things down. And I think that's the only thing that can't be taught or bought. You can learn how to shoot and how to control the ball, but being aware of everything that's happening out on the pitch – that's something you're either born with or you're not."

Former Argentina playmaker Juan Román Riquelme on Iniesta[107]

 
Iniesta evades Claudio Marchisio during the UEFA Euro 2012 Final

Much like other Barcelona youth products such as Pep Guardiola, Xavi and Iván de la Peña, Iniesta is a playmaker who relies on his technique, passing, intuition, movement and inventiveness to control the midfield, dictate the ebb and flow of play, and create chances or space for teammates.[11][108][109] Iniesta has been praised for his understanding and interplay with Xavi; former Barcelona teammate Giovanni van Bronckhorst said of the pair, "They have a special relationship, they always have, they just seem to know where the other one is."[110] Despite not being particularly prolific in front of goal, during his maturation as a player, he has gained a reputation of a big-game player for club and country, assisting a goal in each of the 2009, 2011 and 2015 UEFA Champions League finals,[111] as well as scoring the winner in the 2010 World Cup Final, not to sideline his vital contributions in the 2006 Champions League Final, the 2008 Euro Final and the 2012 Euro Final, being known for his ability to score from powerful strikes outside the box. He is also the only footballer in history to win the Man of the Match award in a World Cup Final, a Euro Final, and a Champions League Final.[112][94][102]

His willingness to play anywhere on the pitch has earned him the sobriquet El Ilusionista (The Illusionist), El Cerebro (The Brain), El Anti-Galáctico (a pun on Real Madrid players' nickname Los Galácticos), El Caballero Pálido (The Pale Knight)[113] and most recently Don Andrés from the Spanish press. Zinedine Zidane also praised Iniesta, stating on the Spanish radio station Cadena COPE, "Iniesta really impresses me. He's got so much influence in Spain's game. He reminds me of myself."[citation needed] He is widely regarded by many in the sport as one of the most respected and best midfielders of all time,[13][114][115][116] and as one of the greatest passers and playmakers in world football history.[117][118] Despite his reserved personality, he was also known for his leadership.[119]

Media and sponsorship

Iniesta had a sponsorship deal with sportswear company Nike, and has appeared in Nike commercials alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Wayne Rooney.[120] Iniesta features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series, and was the sixth-highest rated player in FIFA 15.[121] Iniesta's signature move, La Croqueta, features in FIFA 19.[122] In March 2015, Iniesta had the ninth highest social media rank in the world among sportspeople, with 24 million Facebook fans.[123] On 22 October 2018, Iniesta signed a new sponsorship deal with Japanese sportswear company Asics,[124] with his first signature boot being released on 15 July 2019.[125]

Personal life

Iniesta is married to Anna Ortiz; the couple began dating in 2008 and wed on 8 July 2012.[126] They have two daughters, born in 2011 and 2017, and two sons, born 2015[127] and 2019.[128] They lost an unborn child, a son, due to miscarriage in March 2014.[129] In February 2023, they welcomed their fifth child, a girl.[130] Iniesta is a Catholic.[131]

In 2011, Iniesta invested €420,000 in his boyhood club, Albacete, thus becoming its major shareholder.[132] Two years later, with the club facing administrative relegation to the fourth tier of Spanish football, he loaned them a further €240,000 to cover unpaid wages.[133]

In May 2018, Iniesta revealed to Risto Mejide that he suffered from depression before the 2010 FIFA World Cup due to his injuries and the death of Daniel Jarque.[134][135] In September 2018, Iniesta alongside German footballer Lukas Podolski campaigned and donated money for the victims of the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake in Japan.[136]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 26 March 2023[137][138][139]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Barcelona B 2000–01 Segunda División B 10 0 – – – 10 0
2001–02 Segunda División B 25 2 – – 5[b] 0 30 2
2002–03 Segunda División B 14 3 – – – 14 3
Total 49 5 – – 5 0 54 5
Barcelona 2002–03 La Liga 6 0 0 0 3[c] 0 – 9 0
2003–04 La Liga 11 1 3 1 3[d] 0 – 17 2
2004–05 La Liga 37 2 1 0 8[c] 0 – 46 2
2005–06 La Liga 33 0 4 0 11[c] 1 1[e] 0 49 1
2006–07 La Liga 37 6 6 1 8[c] 2 5[f] 0 56 9
2007–08 La Liga 31 3 7 0 11[c] 1 – 49 4
2008–09 La Liga 26 4 6 0 11[c] 1 – 43 5
2009–10 La Liga 29 1 3 0 9[c] 0 1[g] 0 42 1
2010–11 La Liga 34 8 5 0 10[c] 1 1[e] 0 50 9
2011–12 La Liga 27 2 6 2 8[c] 3 5[h] 1 46 8
2012–13 La Liga 31 3 5 2 10[c] 1 2[e] 0 48 6
2013–14 La Liga 35 3 6 0 9[c] 0 2[e] 0 52 3
2014–15 La Liga 24 0 7 3 11[c] 0 – 42 3
2015–16 La Liga 28 1 4 0 7[c] 0 5[i] 0 44 1
2016–17 La Liga 23 0 5 0 8[c] 1 1[e] 0 37 1
2017–18 La Liga 30 1 5 1 8[c] 0 1[e] 0 44 2
Total 442 35 73 10 135 11 24 1 674 57
Vissel Kobe 2018 J1 League 14 3 1 0 – – 15 3
2019 J1 League 23 6 2 1 – – 25 7
2020 J1 League 26 4 1 0 6[j] 2 1[k] 0 34 6
2021 J1 League 23 6 4 1 – – 27 7
2022 J1 League 24 2 2 0 1[j] 1 – 27 3
2023 J1 League 0 0 1 0 – – 1 0
Total 110 21 11 2 7 3 1 0 129 26
Career total 601 61 84 12 142 14 30 1 857 88
Notes
  1. ^ Includes Copa del Rey, Emperor's Cup and J.League Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in Segunda División B play-offs
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  4. ^ Appearance(s) in UEFA Cup
  5. ^ a b c d e f Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España
  6. ^ One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, two appearances in Supercopa de España, two appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
  7. ^ Appearance(s) in FIFA Club World Cup
  8. ^ One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, two appearances and one goal in Supercopa de España, two appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
  9. ^ One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, two appearances in Supercopa de España, two appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
  10. ^ a b Appearance(s) in AFC Champions League
  11. ^ Appearance in Japanese Super Cup

International

Appearances and goals by year and competition[140]
National team Year Competitive Friendly Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Spain 2006 3[a] 0 5 0 8 0
2007 9[b] 3 3 1 12 4
2008 10[c] 1 4 0 14 1
2009 2[d] 0 3 0 5 0
2010 9[e] 3 6 0 15 3
2011 2[f] 0 7 1 9 1
2012 9[g] 0 5 1 14 1
2013 10[h] 0 7 0 17 0
2014 5[i] 0 3 1 8 1
2015 3[j] 1 2 0 5 1
2016 6[k] 0 2 0 8 0
2017 4[l] 0 4 1 8 1
2018 4[m] 0 4 0 8 0
Total 76 8 55 5 131 13
  1. ^ One appearance in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, two appearances in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
  2. ^ Appearances in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
  3. ^ Six appearances at UEFA Euro 2008, four appearances and one goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
  4. ^ Appearances in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
  5. ^ Six appearances and two goals in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, three appearances and one goal in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
  6. ^ Appearances in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
  7. ^ Six appearances at UEFA Euro 2012, three appearances in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
  8. ^ Five appearances in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, five appearances in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
  9. ^ Three appearances in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, two appearances in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
  10. ^ Appearances in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
  11. ^ Four appearances UEFA Euro 2016, two appearances in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
  12. ^ Appearances in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
  13. ^ Appearances in the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Iniesta goal.[140]
List of international goals scored by Andrés Iniesta
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 7 February 2007 Old Trafford, Manchester, England   England 1–0 1–0 Friendly
2 28 March 2007 Iberostar Stadium, Palma, Spain   Iceland 1–0 1–0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
3 8 September 2007 Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavik, Iceland   Iceland 1–1 1–1 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
4 17 November 2007 Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain   Sweden 2–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
5 25 October 2008 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium   Belgium 1–1 2–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 25 June 2010 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, South Africa   Chile 2–0 2–1 2010 FIFA World Cup
7 11 July 2010 FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa   Netherlands 1–0 1–0 2010 FIFA World Cup
8 12 October 2010 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland   Scotland 2–0 3–2 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
9 2 September 2011 kybunpark, St. Gallen, Switzerland   Chile 1–2 3–2 Friendly
10 29 February 2012 La Rosaleda Stadium, Málaga, Spain   Venezuela 1–0 5–0 Friendly
11 30 May 2014 Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Seville, Spain   Bolivia 2–0 2–0 Friendly
12 5 September 2015 Carlos Tartiere Stadium, Oviedo, Spain   Slovakia 2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
13 11 November 2017 La Rosaleda Stadium, Málaga, Spain   Costa Rica 5–0 5–0 Friendly

Honours

Barcelona[6]

Vissel Kobe[66][67]

Spain U16[6]

Spain U19[6]

 
Iniesta and his teammates celebrate winning the UEFA Euro 2012.

Spain[6]

Individual

Decorations

See also

References

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External links

  Media related to Andrés Iniesta at Wikimedia Commons

  • Official website  
  • FC Barcelona official profile
  • Andrés Iniesta at BDFutbol  
  • National team data at BDFutbol
  • Andrés Iniesta at Soccerway  
  • Andrés Iniesta at National-Football-Teams.com  
  • – FIFA competition record (archived)  
  • Andrés Iniesta – UEFA competition record ()  
  • Andrés Iniesta at J.League () (in Japanese)  

April 04, 2023
andrés, iniesta, spanish, olympic, wrestler, wrestler, confused, with, andrés, iniestra, this, spanish, name, first, paternal, surname, iniesta, second, maternal, family, name, luján, luján, spanish, pronunciation, anˈdɾes, iˈnjesta, luˈxan, born, 1984, spanis. For the Spanish Olympic wrestler see Andres Iniesta wrestler Not to be confused with Andres Iniestra In this Spanish name the first or paternal surname is Iniesta and the second or maternal family name is Lujan Andres Iniesta Lujan Spanish pronunciation anˈdɾes iˈnjesta luˈxan born 11 May 1984 is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder and is the captain of J1 League club Vissel Kobe Considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time 3 4 5 Iniesta has spent most of his career at Barcelona where he served as the captain for three seasons Andres IniestaIniesta with Spain in 2017Personal informationFull nameAndres Iniesta Lujan 1 Date of birth 1984 05 11 11 May 1984 age 38 1 Place of birthFuentealbilla SpainHeight1 71 m 5 ft 7 in 2 Position s MidfielderClub informationCurrent teamVissel KobeNumber8Youth career1994 1996Albacete1996 2001BarcelonaSenior career YearsTeamApps Gls 2001 2003Barcelona B49 5 2002 2018Barcelona442 35 2018 Vissel Kobe110 21 International career2000Spain U152 0 2000 2001Spain U167 1 2001Spain U174 0 2001 2002Spain U197 1 2003Spain U207 3 2003 2006Spain U2118 6 2004 2005Catalonia2 0 2006 2018Spain131 13 Honours Men s footballRepresenting SpainFIFA World CupWinner 2010 South AfricaUEFA European ChampionshipWinner 2008 Austria SwitzerlandWinner 2012 Poland UkraineFIFA Confederations CupRunner up 2013 BrazilFIFA U 20 World CupRunner up 2003 United Arab EmiratesUEFA U 19 ChampionshipWinner 2002 NorwayUEFA U 17 ChampionshipWinner 2001 England Club domestic league appearances and goals correct as of 23 20 5 November 2022 UTC Iniesta came through La Masia the Barcelona youth academy after an early migration from his birthplace and impressed from an early age He made his first team debut aged 18 in 2002 He began playing regularly during the 2004 05 season and remained in the team until 2018 Iniesta was an integral part of the Barcelona sides that won two historic trebles in 2009 and 2015 and his 35 trophies which includes nine La Ligas and four UEFA Champions League titles make him the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time 6 After 22 years at Barcelona Iniesta signed for Japanese club Vissel Kobe in 2018 Iniesta played for Spain at the Under 16 Under 19 and Under 21 levels before making his international debut in 2006 He helped Spain win UEFA Euro 2008 playing every game and being selected in the Team of the Tournament Iniesta was also a key member of the victorious Spanish team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands for which he was named the Man of the Match and was selected to the tournament s All Star Team At UEFA Euro 2012 Iniesta led Spain to their second consecutive continental crown again being chosen as the Man of the Match of the final against Italy and was named the Player of the Tournament Iniesta has been named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI nine times and was chosen in the UEFA Team of the Year on six occasions He was named in the All time UEFA Euro XI He won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in 2012 and was named the IFFHS World s Best Playmaker in 2012 and 2013 Iniesta was runner up to Lionel Messi for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d Or and achieved third place in 2012 Contents 1 Club career 1 1 FC Barcelona 1 1 1 Early career 1 1 2 2004 2008 1 1 3 2008 09 1 1 4 2009 2012 1 1 5 2013 2018 1 2 Vissel Kobe 2 International career 2 1 2001 2008 2 2 2008 2012 2 3 2013 2018 3 Style of play and reception 4 Media and sponsorship 5 Personal life 6 Career statistics 6 1 Club 6 2 International 7 Honours 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksClub career EditFC Barcelona Edit Early career Edit Iniesta comes from Fuentealbilla a small village in the province of Albacete Castile La Mancha where he mostly played futsal due to the lack of football pitches in the village 7 At the age of 12 while playing for Albacete Balompie in a junior seven a side tournament in Albacete he attracted the attention of scouts from clubs around Spain 8 His parents knew Barcelona s youth team coach Enrique Orizaola and he persuaded them to consider sending Iniesta to the Barcelona youth academy Iniesta traveled there with his parents and visited La Masia the farmhouse where the club houses its young players the trip convinced them to enroll Iniesta in the Barcelona youth ranks 9 Receive pass offer receive pass offer Iniesta on La Masia education of ball retention passing and using space 10 Iniesta says he cried rivers the day he left for La Masia and struggled being separated from his parents 11 he was very shy and kept to himself while there 12 He captained the Barcelona Under 15 team to victory in the Nike Premier Cup of 1999 scoring the winning goal in the last minute of the final and was named player of the tournament Just after Iniesta arrived at the club then captain Pep Guardiola famously told fellow midfielder Xavi You re going to retire me This lad Iniesta is going to retire us all 13 2004 2008 Edit Iniesta with Barcelona in 2006 Iniesta joined the first team during the tenure of Radomir Antic On 29 October 2002 he made his first team debut in a 1 0 away win against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League group stage In the 2004 05 season he featured in 37 out of 38 league games more than any other player although 25 of these were substitute appearances He scored twice as Barcelona won La Liga 14 An injury to Xavi at the start of the 2005 06 season allowed Iniesta more regular starts in the centre of midfield and he continued to improve and develop 15 He played in 11 UEFA Champions League games including a half time appearance in the 2006 final to replace Edmilson 16 His contribution to the team was praised by manager Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona won a league and Champions League double 17 The 2006 07 season saw Iniesta s profile continue to rise and he earned plaudits for his willingness to play in any position for his team In the pre season he lifted the Joan Gamper Trophy as the captain of the team after a 4 0 victory over German side Bayern Munich Iniesta played for the first time as a left wing forward for Barca in two Champions League matches against Levski Sofia finding the net twice In the first knockout stage of the same competition he played in central midfield against Liverpool Despite being moved around the pitch by manager Rijkaard the 2006 07 season remains Iniesta s highest scoring thus far With the departure of Ludovic Giuly ahead of the 2007 08 campaign Iniesta was able to switch his number 24 shirt for his preferred number 8 18 Despite rumours of a possible transfer before the season 19 he extended his contract to 2014 on 25 January 2008 20 with his buy out clause being raised to 150 million 21 Don Balon a member of European Sports Magazines named Iniesta one of the most consistent performers in the previous two seasons of La Liga he placed fifth in 2006 07 and fourth in 2007 08 22 23 He also placed ninth in the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year voting gaining 37 total points 24 2008 09 Edit At the start of the 2008 09 season in September 2008 Iniesta was elected the fourth choice captain behind in order of preference Carles Puyol Xavi and Victor Valdes all four were products of the Barcelona youth system 25 His performances throughout the season were highly lauded and he received standing ovations both in Barcelona at the Camp Nou as well as from rival supporters in away matches 26 A leg injury sustained in mid November 2008 left Iniesta sidelined until 3 January initially expected to return to action in six weeks he did not want to come back until he was 100 percent Upon his return to action on 3 January as a 65th minute substitute against Mallorca he scored a crucial goal after just ten minutes on the pitch and completed a Barcelona comeback in front of the Camp Nou 27 3 days later he captained Barcelona for the first time in an official match a 3 1 victory against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon in the round of 16 first leg of the Copa del Rey Iniesta sustained another injury during a home match against Malaga but returned to action for the first leg Champions League quarter final against Bayern Munich on 8 April which Barcelona won 4 0 28 He scored a vital equaliser in the final minute of stoppage time during the second leg of the Champions League semi final against Chelsea with a curling strike with the outside of his right foot 25 yards from goal securing the tie on away goals as the match finished 1 1 at Stamford Bridge 29 In the season review Un Any Al Paradis Iniesta wrote I connected with that shot with the outside not the inside or the tip of my boot but right from my heart with all my might 30 I knew I would play injured and do more damage For 17 days all I thought about was the final in Rome and winning even knowing that I would do more damage I d repeat it for sure I love this club and my profession and I wanted to win If we had lost the final that would have been a total disaster Iniesta on the victorious 2009 UEFA Champions League Final 31 Iniesta s goal against Chelsea sent Barcelona through to the final in Rome against defending champions Manchester United Prior to the final United manager Alex Ferguson identified Iniesta as Barca s biggest threat He s fantastic He makes the team work The way he finds passes his movement and ability to create space is incredible He s so important for Barcelona 11 Despite a thigh injury Iniesta played and was influential in the game providing the assist for the first goal scored by Samuel Eto o as his team went on to win 2 0 32 In his analysis David Pleat wrote In the end the midfield artistry of Iniesta and Xavi helped by Lionel Messi was the critical factor 33 After the game United striker Wayne Rooney described Iniesta as the best player in the world 34 Iniesta received plaudits for his performances that season Don Balon rated him as the league s most consistent performer 35 Later that year he placed fifth for the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year award with 134 votes 36 and fourth for the Ballon d Or receiving 149 points 37 Barcelona extended his contract by one year until 2015 and raised his buy out clause to 200 million 38 2009 2012 Edit Barcelona won a second successive league title in the 2009 10 season securing a record 99 points Individually however Iniesta endured a campaign largely disrupted by recurring injuries He missed pre season fitness training due to the thigh tear suffered in the 2009 Champions League final 39 Despite featuring in almost as many matches as the previous season he did so mostly as a substitute starting only 20 games throughout 40 His season came to a premature end in April after he aggravated a previous calf injury during training 41 Iniesta playing against Rubin Kazan in the UEFA Champions League October 2009 A contributing factor of Iniesta s fractured season were the episodes of psychological instability he suffered privately following the death of his close friend Daniel Jarque a fellow footballer in August 2009 Even when physically fit he was often unable to complete training sessions or exert himself After seeking psychological help including from psychologist Inma Puig 42 he experienced catharsis when he scored Spain s match winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final which he dedicated to Jarque by revealing the message Dani Jarque always with us written on his undershirt 43 I did it because I felt it deeply Iniesta said at the time It showed that what is more important than rivalry your team or your colours is to be human and a good person I am delighted because it was the most important moment in my career 44 Regarding the recurrent injuries that plagued his season he said It was hard but I will start with more desire than ever 44 Iniesta scored his first goal of the 2010 11 season during the opening league fixture against Racing de Santander lobbing the ball into the net from a distance of 30 yards 45 Throughout the campaign he received standing ovations from opposition fans including at El Sardinero and the Vicente Calderon Stadium in appreciation of his World Cup winning goal 46 Another standing ovation came on the home pitch of Espanyol in the Derbi barceloni with the crowd acknowledging his friendship with Daniel Jarque Espanyol s captain at the time of his death 47 Iniesta was one of the three finalists for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d Or alongside Xavi and Messi placing as runner up behind the Argentine 48 Iniesta started the 2011 12 season by scoring the opening goal in the second leg of the Supercopa de Espana against rivals Real Madrid Barcelona went on to win the match 3 2 and the cup 5 4 on aggregate One of his best goals followed in October against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League group stage after an interchange of passes with Messi Iniesta played a record 51 matches unbeaten in La Liga concluding with Barcelona s 2 0 defeat of Mallorca on 24 March 49 In the Champions League he ended a goal drought by scoring a vital goal against Milan in the quarter finals From there he went on to score in the semi final against Chelsea to make the scoreline 2 0 but the match ended 2 2 eliminating his team 3 2 on aggregate Towards the end of the year on 25 November Iniesta was named man of the match after scoring one goal and providing three assists in a 4 0 win over Levante 50 His performances earned him third place in the voting of the 2012 FIFA Ballon d Or 51 Iniesta lifting the 2015 UEFA Super Cup trophy 2013 2018 Edit Iniesta signed a new contract with Barcelona in December 2013 keeping him at the club until 2018 52 As vice captain he regularly captained Barca throughout the club s second treble winning campaign of the 2014 15 season and became captain after Carles Puyol s retirement and Xavi s departure Iniesta scored three times during the team s Copa del Rey campaign 53 and was man of the match in the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final having assisted Ivan Rakitic s opening goal in the 3 1 defeat of Italian champions Juventus at Berlin s Olympiastadion 54 Their European victory made Barcelona the first club in history to win the treble of domestic league domestic cup and European Cup twice 55 Iniesta was among the seven players to have been a part of both treble winning teams 55 During the first Clasico of the 2015 16 season on 21 November Iniesta became only the third Barcelona player after Diego Maradona in 1983 and Ronaldinho in 2005 to receive applause from Real Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabeu 56 His man of the match performance included a goal and an assist contributing to a resounding 4 0 victory 57 He signed a lifetime contract with Barcelona on 6 October 2017 effectively keeping him with the club for the remainder of his career 58 He played the 650th game of his career for Barcelona against Levante on 7 January 2018 he was replaced by Andre Gomes after 76 minutes as the game ended 3 0 in favour of Barcelona 59 Despite signing a lifetime contract on 27 April 2018 Iniesta announced he would be leaving Barcelona by the end of the season 60 He made his 674th and final appearance for Barcelona on 20 May in the final league match of the season a 1 0 home victory over Real Sociedad as Barcelona celebrated the victory of their 25th league and 30th Copa del Rey title he came off in the 81st minute for Paco Alcacer 61 Vissel Kobe Edit On 24 May 2018 Japanese club Vissel Kobe announced the signing of Iniesta on a three year deal 62 He made his debut on 22 July coming on as a second half substitute for Kazuma Watanabe in a 0 3 defeat against Shonan Bellmare 63 On 11 August 2018 Iniesta scored his first goal in the J1 League in a 2 1 win over Jubilo Iwata 64 On 21 December 2019 he scored the opening goal in a 3 1 win over Shimizu S Pulse in the semi final of the 2019 Emperor s Cup 65 On 1 January 2020 he won his first trophy in Japan starting in Vissel Kobe s 2 0 victory over Kashima Antlers in the final of the 2019 Emperor s Cup 66 A month later he also won the 2020 Japanese Super Cup 67 On 7 December 2020 Iniesta suffered a tear of the rectus femoris muscle during a 2 0 win in the round of 16 of the 2020 AFC Champions League against Shanghai SIPG in which he also scored the first goal of the game 68 He had a successful surgery in Barcelona a few days later 69 On 11 May 2021 Iniesta signed a contract extension with Vissel Kobe keeping him at the club for another two seasons 70 On 11 November 2021 he was named J League Monthly MVP after scoring three league goals in October 71 He was named in the 2021 J League Best XI on 6 December 2021 72 On 14 May 2022 Iniesta scored a goal and guided Vissel Kobe to first league win of the 2022 season in a 4 0 win over Sagan Tosu 73 International career Edit2001 2008 Edit Iniesta burst on to the international scene in 2001 helping Spain win the UEFA European Under 16 Championship After representing his country at the 2001 FIFA U 17 World Championship held in Trinidad and Tobago 74 he was in the squad that claimed the UEFA European Under 19 Championship the following year From then he became a regular choice for youth coach Juan Santisteban In 2003 he was part of the side that reached the FIFA World Youth Championship final in the United Arab Emirates and was named in the FIFA all star team 75 During his spell with the Spain U21 side Iniesta was named captain on several occasions Iniesta was called up to represent the senior Spain squad at the 2006 FIFA World Cup on 15 May 2006 much to the surprise of many He won his first cap for La Furia Roja when he was brought on at half time in a friendly against Russia on 27 May 75 His first goal followed in a friendly against England on 7 February 2007 His long range effort hitting the underside of the crossbar on the way in gave Spain the lead on 63 minutes Iniesta played a pivotal part in Spain s qualification for UEFA Euro 2008 by scoring goals against Sweden and by assisting the strikers 2008 2012 Edit Iniesta playing for Spain in September 2013 Iniesta was selected in Spain s squad for UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland Though a stomach ailment somewhat hampered his performances in the group stages he still played an integral part in the midfield He played in the first two of Spain s group stage matches and proved an important part of the team providing a pass for David Villa s second goal against Russia He was not rested unlike most of Spain s regulars for the final group game against Greece which Spain won 2 1 thanks to a volley from Ruben de la Red and a late winner from Daniel Guiza Iniesta returned for the quarter final as Spain beat Italy on penalties he was substituted before the penalty shootout itself In the semi final against Russia he played the entire 90 minutes and produced a cross that Xavi converted to open the scoring in an eventual 3 0 victory 76 he was subsequently named the Man of the Match 77 He played the duration of the final in Spain s 1 0 win over Germany Iniesta was named in the Team of the Tournament alongside fellow Spain midfielders Xavi Marcos Senna and six other teammates Iniesta did not participate in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa due to a thigh muscle injury Spain was eliminated from the tournament at the semi final stage 78 Iniesta was selected for Spain in the 2010 World Cup and scored the second goal in a 2 1 group stage win against Chile He was also named man of the match 79 For his excellent performances in helping Spain reach the final of the tournament Iniesta was shortlisted for the Golden Ball award 80 During the final he scored the winning goal in the 116th minute of a 1 0 win against Netherlands 81 He earned a yellow card for removing his jersey during his ecstatic goal celebration to reveal his message to his late friend Dani Jarque 82 83 He won the man of the match award for his performance in the final which gave Spain its first ever World Cup 84 At UEFA Euro 2012 Iniesta was awarded the man of the match award for his performances in three different matches He was also selected as man of the match in the final against Italy which Spain won 4 0 In winning the award Iniesta became the only Spanish player to win the award at least once in each of Spain s three consecutive successful tournaments 85 Iniesta was also chosen as the UEFA Euro 2012 Player of the Tournament 86 Iniesta with Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia 2013 2018 Edit At the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Iniesta was named in the Team of the Tournament and awarded the Silver Ball for the second best player in the competition as Spain finished runner up to host nation Brazil 87 Iniesta started all three matches for Spain at the 2014 World Cup winning his 100th cap in the team s final group match against Australia 88 At the UEFA Euro 2016 he assisted the only goal of the match against Czech Republic and put in a man of the match display to give Spain a winning start in the tournament 89 He started in all four Spain s matches and were later knocked out by Italy in the Round of 16 In May 2018 Iniesta was named in Spain s squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia 90 He started in all three matches of the group stage making an assist for Isco in the 2 2 draw against Morocco on 25 June 2018 He came off the bench in the 67th minute in Spain s last match at the tournament against Russia on 1 July 2018 for the round of 16 After the loss in the penalty shoot outs Iniesta announced his retirement from international duty 91 He amassed 131 senior international caps for Spain and at the time of retiring was the nation s fourth most capped player of all time behind only Iker Casillas Xavi and Sergio Ramos 92 Style of play and reception Edit Iniesta on the ball for Barcelona against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012 Like fellow La Masia graduate Cesc Fabregas Iniesta originally started as a defensive midfielder 93 but his balance ball control and agility in close spaces allied with his skill composure and flair on the ball saw him make progress as an attacking midfielder Beyond his raw talent that was spotted at a young age by Barcelona s scouts it was his great versatility work ethic and inventiveness that allowed him to stake a claim on a first team place at the age of 18 94 95 96 Vicente del Bosque described him as A complete footballer He can attack and defend he creates and scores and Frank Rijkaard said I played him as a false winger central midfielder deep midfielder and just behind the striker and he was always excellent 11 He was used initially as a wide forward in the absence of Juan Roman Riquelme and Ronaldinho by Louis van Gaal and Rijkaard respectively but made his name as a world class player in central midfield alongside or in lieu of Xavi at both club and international level As FIFA com says It is in this position that his direct style and quick feet can be used to full effect with the ball seeming glued to his toes as he races into threatening positions A diminutive midfielder Iniesta is a player known for his passing technique vision and movement 11 97 98 he is also highly regarded for his ability to read the game as well as his acceleration and close control at speed which when combined with his low centre of gravity has rendered him one of the most skilled dribblers of all time 99 by allowing him to change direction quickly get past opponents and undertake individual runs with the ball despite not being particularly quick Moreover his former manager Guardiola has praised him for his mastery of the relationship between space and time which he utilises to his advantage in order to disorient opposing players when in possession 95 100 101 102 103 104 His signature move is La Croqueta a move pioneered by Michael Laudrup and popularised by Iniesta where he quickly pushes the ball from his right foot to his left which takes the ball away from an opponent allowing him to get out of a tight situation 105 His role has also been likened to that of a mezzala in Italian football jargon namely an offensive minded box to box or central midfielder 106 The one who plays this game the best is Iniesta he knows exactly when to go forward and when to drop back He picks the right moment to do everything when to dribble when to speed things up and when to slow things down And I think that s the only thing that can t be taught or bought You can learn how to shoot and how to control the ball but being aware of everything that s happening out on the pitch that s something you re either born with or you re not Former Argentina playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme on Iniesta 107 Iniesta evades Claudio Marchisio during the UEFA Euro 2012 Final Much like other Barcelona youth products such as Pep Guardiola Xavi and Ivan de la Pena Iniesta is a playmaker who relies on his technique passing intuition movement and inventiveness to control the midfield dictate the ebb and flow of play and create chances or space for teammates 11 108 109 Iniesta has been praised for his understanding and interplay with Xavi former Barcelona teammate Giovanni van Bronckhorst said of the pair They have a special relationship they always have they just seem to know where the other one is 110 Despite not being particularly prolific in front of goal during his maturation as a player he has gained a reputation of a big game player for club and country assisting a goal in each of the 2009 2011 and 2015 UEFA Champions League finals 111 as well as scoring the winner in the 2010 World Cup Final not to sideline his vital contributions in the 2006 Champions League Final the 2008 Euro Final and the 2012 Euro Final being known for his ability to score from powerful strikes outside the box He is also the only footballer in history to win the Man of the Match award in a World Cup Final a Euro Final and a Champions League Final 112 94 102 His willingness to play anywhere on the pitch has earned him the sobriquet El Ilusionista The Illusionist El Cerebro The Brain El Anti Galactico a pun on Real Madrid players nickname Los Galacticos El Caballero Palido The Pale Knight 113 and most recently Don Andres from the Spanish press Zinedine Zidane also praised Iniesta stating on the Spanish radio station Cadena COPE Iniesta really impresses me He s got so much influence in Spain s game He reminds me of myself citation needed He is widely regarded by many in the sport as one of the most respected and best midfielders of all time 13 114 115 116 and as one of the greatest passers and playmakers in world football history 117 118 Despite his reserved personality he was also known for his leadership 119 Media and sponsorship EditIniesta had a sponsorship deal with sportswear company Nike and has appeared in Nike commercials alongside Cristiano Ronaldo Neymar Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney 120 Iniesta features in EA Sports FIFA video game series and was the sixth highest rated player in FIFA 15 121 Iniesta s signature move La Croqueta features in FIFA 19 122 In March 2015 Iniesta had the ninth highest social media rank in the world among sportspeople with 24 million Facebook fans 123 On 22 October 2018 Iniesta signed a new sponsorship deal with Japanese sportswear company Asics 124 with his first signature boot being released on 15 July 2019 125 Personal life EditIniesta is married to Anna Ortiz the couple began dating in 2008 and wed on 8 July 2012 126 They have two daughters born in 2011 and 2017 and two sons born 2015 127 and 2019 128 They lost an unborn child a son due to miscarriage in March 2014 129 In February 2023 they welcomed their fifth child a girl 130 Iniesta is a Catholic 131 In 2011 Iniesta invested 420 000 in his boyhood club Albacete thus becoming its major shareholder 132 Two years later with the club facing administrative relegation to the fourth tier of Spanish football he loaned them a further 240 000 to cover unpaid wages 133 In May 2018 Iniesta revealed to Risto Mejide that he suffered from depression before the 2010 FIFA World Cup due to his injuries and the death of Daniel Jarque 134 135 In September 2018 Iniesta alongside German footballer Lukas Podolski campaigned and donated money for the victims of the Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake in Japan 136 Career statistics EditClub Edit As of match played 26 March 2023 137 138 139 Appearances and goals by club season and competition Club Season League Cup a Continental Other TotalDivision Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps GoalsBarcelona B 2000 01 Segunda Division B 10 0 10 02001 02 Segunda Division B 25 2 5 b 0 30 22002 03 Segunda Division B 14 3 14 3Total 49 5 5 0 54 5Barcelona 2002 03 La Liga 6 0 0 0 3 c 0 9 02003 04 La Liga 11 1 3 1 3 d 0 17 22004 05 La Liga 37 2 1 0 8 c 0 46 22005 06 La Liga 33 0 4 0 11 c 1 1 e 0 49 12006 07 La Liga 37 6 6 1 8 c 2 5 f 0 56 92007 08 La Liga 31 3 7 0 11 c 1 49 42008 09 La Liga 26 4 6 0 11 c 1 43 52009 10 La Liga 29 1 3 0 9 c 0 1 g 0 42 12010 11 La Liga 34 8 5 0 10 c 1 1 e 0 50 92011 12 La Liga 27 2 6 2 8 c 3 5 h 1 46 82012 13 La Liga 31 3 5 2 10 c 1 2 e 0 48 62013 14 La Liga 35 3 6 0 9 c 0 2 e 0 52 32014 15 La Liga 24 0 7 3 11 c 0 42 32015 16 La Liga 28 1 4 0 7 c 0 5 i 0 44 12016 17 La Liga 23 0 5 0 8 c 1 1 e 0 37 12017 18 La Liga 30 1 5 1 8 c 0 1 e 0 44 2Total 442 35 73 10 135 11 24 1 674 57Vissel Kobe 2018 J1 League 14 3 1 0 15 32019 J1 League 23 6 2 1 25 72020 J1 League 26 4 1 0 6 j 2 1 k 0 34 62021 J1 League 23 6 4 1 27 72022 J1 League 24 2 2 0 1 j 1 27 32023 J1 League 0 0 1 0 1 0Total 110 21 11 2 7 3 1 0 129 26Career total 601 61 84 12 142 14 30 1 857 88Notes Includes Copa del Rey Emperor s Cup and J League Cup Appearances in Segunda Division B play offs a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Appearance s in UEFA Champions League Appearance s in UEFA Cup a b c d e f Appearance s in Supercopa de Espana One appearance in UEFA Super Cup two appearances in Supercopa de Espana two appearances in FIFA Club World Cup Appearance s in FIFA Club World Cup One appearance in UEFA Super Cup two appearances and one goal in Supercopa de Espana two appearances in FIFA Club World Cup One appearance in UEFA Super Cup two appearances in Supercopa de Espana two appearances in FIFA Club World Cup a b Appearance s in AFC Champions League Appearance in Japanese Super Cup International Edit Appearances and goals by year and competition 140 National team Year Competitive Friendly TotalApps Goals Apps Goals Apps GoalsSpain 2006 3 a 0 5 0 8 02007 9 b 3 3 1 12 42008 10 c 1 4 0 14 12009 2 d 0 3 0 5 02010 9 e 3 6 0 15 32011 2 f 0 7 1 9 12012 9 g 0 5 1 14 12013 10 h 0 7 0 17 02014 5 i 0 3 1 8 12015 3 j 1 2 0 5 12016 6 k 0 2 0 8 02017 4 l 0 4 1 8 12018 4 m 0 4 0 8 0Total 76 8 55 5 131 13 One appearance in the 2006 FIFA World Cup two appearances in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Appearances in the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Six appearances at UEFA Euro 2008 four appearances and one goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Appearances in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Six appearances and two goals in the 2010 FIFA World Cup three appearances and one goal in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Appearances in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Six appearances at UEFA Euro 2012 three appearances in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification Five appearances in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification five appearances in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Three appearances in the 2014 FIFA World Cup two appearances in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Appearances in the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Four appearances UEFA Euro 2016 two appearances in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification Appearances in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification Appearances in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Scores and results list Spain s goal tally first score column indicates score after each Iniesta goal 140 List of international goals scored by Andres Iniesta No Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition1 7 February 2007 Old Trafford Manchester England England 1 0 1 0 Friendly2 28 March 2007 Iberostar Stadium Palma Spain Iceland 1 0 1 0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying3 8 September 2007 Laugardalsvollur Reykjavik Iceland Iceland 1 1 1 1 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying4 17 November 2007 Santiago Bernabeu Stadium Madrid Spain Sweden 2 0 3 0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying5 25 October 2008 King Baudouin Stadium Brussels Belgium Belgium 1 1 2 1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification6 25 June 2010 Loftus Versfeld Pretoria South Africa Chile 2 0 2 1 2010 FIFA World Cup7 11 July 2010 FNB Stadium Johannesburg South Africa Netherlands 1 0 1 0 2010 FIFA World Cup8 12 October 2010 Hampden Park Glasgow Scotland Scotland 2 0 3 2 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying9 2 September 2011 kybunpark St Gallen Switzerland Chile 1 2 3 2 Friendly10 29 February 2012 La Rosaleda Stadium Malaga Spain Venezuela 1 0 5 0 Friendly11 30 May 2014 Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium Seville Spain Bolivia 2 0 2 0 Friendly12 5 September 2015 Carlos Tartiere Stadium Oviedo Spain Slovakia 2 0 2 0 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying13 11 November 2017 La Rosaleda Stadium Malaga Spain Costa Rica 5 0 5 0 FriendlyHonours EditBarcelona 6 La Liga 2004 05 2005 06 2008 09 2009 10 2010 11 2012 13 2014 15 2015 16 2017 18 Copa del Rey 2008 09 2011 12 2014 15 2015 16 2016 17 2017 18 Supercopa de Espana 2005 2006 2010 2011 2013 2016 UEFA Champions League 2005 06 2008 09 2010 11 2014 15 UEFA Super Cup 2011 2015 FIFA Club World Cup 2009 2011 2015Vissel Kobe 66 67 Emperor s Cup 2019 Japanese Super Cup 2020Spain U16 6 UEFA European Under 16 Championship 2001Spain U19 6 UEFA European Under 19 Championship 2002 Iniesta and his teammates celebrate winning the UEFA Euro 2012 Spain 6 FIFA World Cup 2010 UEFA European Championship 2008 2012Individual UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament 2008 2012 6 La Liga Best Spanish Player 2009 La Liga Best Midfielder 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 FIFA FIFPro World11 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 141 142 UEFA Team of the Year 2009 2010 2011 2012 2015 2016 6 Onze de Bronze 2009 FIFA World Cup Dream Team 2010 143 UEFA Champions League top assist provider 2010 11 144 ESM Team of the Year 2010 11 2017 18 Onze d Argent 2011 Marca Legend Award 2011 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award 2012 6 UEFA Euro Player of the Tournament 2012 145 IFFHS World s Best Playmaker 2012 2013 146 IFFHS World Team of the Decade 2011 2020 147 IFFHS UEFA Team of the decade 2011 2020 148 FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Ball 2013 La Liga top assist provider 2012 13 Golden Foot 2014 149 UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season 2014 15 2015 16 UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year published 2015 150 FIFA Club World Cup Bronze Ball 2015 151 France Football World XI 2015 152 La Liga Team of the Season 2015 16 153 UEFA Euro All time XI published 2016 154 J League Best XI 2019 2021 155 Ballon d Or Dream Team Bronze 2020 156 Decorations Prince of Asturias Awards 2010 157 Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit 2011 158 Queen Sofia Award 2017 159 Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sports Merit 2018 160 See also EditList of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances List of men s footballers with 100 or more international caps List of men s footballers with the most official appearances List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards List of FC Barcelona players 150 appearances List of La Liga players 400 appearances References Edit a b FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 List of Players Spain PDF FIFA 4 June 2010 p 29 Archived from the original PDF on 16 June 2010 Retrieved 13 September 2013 Andres Iniesta FC Barcelona Archived from the original on 28 November 2017 Retrieved 21 April 2018 The 10 Greatest Midfielders In Football History Have Been Named And Ranked www sportbible com Retrieved 15 June 2021 HS Shreyas 12 February 2021 10 greatest midfielders of all time www sportskeeda com Retrieved 10 July 2021 Rogers Joshua 21 May 2018 Vote on where Iniesta ranks among the greatest midfielders of all time mirror Retrieved 15 June 2021 a b c d e f g h Walker Joe 1 July 2018 Andres Iniesta ends Spain career his greatness explained UEFA Archived from the original 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Iniesta wins Golden Foot 2014 FC Barcelona 13 October 2014 Archived from the original on 2 January 2021 Retrieved 13 October 2014 Ultimate Team of the Year The All Time XI UEFA 22 November 2015 Archived from the original on 7 May 2016 Retrieved 25 November 2015 2015 FIFA Club World Cup awards Federation Internationale de Football Association Archived from the original on 12 January 2016 Retrieved 20 December 2015 Messi Neymar Jr Iniesta and Alves in France Football world XI of 2015 FCBarcelona com 30 December 2015 Archived from the original on 8 June 2016 Retrieved 30 December 2015 The 2015 16 Liga BBVA Team of the Season LFP 1 June 2016 Archived from the original on 18 November 2018 Retrieved 4 June 2016 Your All time EURO 11 revealed UEFA 7 June 2016 Archived from the original on 26 June 2020 Retrieved 8 June 2016 Teruhito Nakagawa named J League MVP with Iniesta joining Marinos and Tokyo players in Best XI The Japan Times 7 December 2019 Archived from the original on 2 January 2021 Retrieved 20 December 2019 The other two Ballon d Or Dream Team XIs Zidane Cruyff Iniesta Di Stefano but no Casillas MARCA 15 December 2020 Archived from the original on 2 January 2021 Retrieved 15 December 2020 Prince of Asturias Awards 2010 Archived from the original on 2 January 2021 Retrieved 18 May 2015 Royal Order of Sporting Merit 2011 5 October 2011 Archived from the original on 28 August 2018 Retrieved 6 December 2011 Andres Iniesta collects Queen Sofia Award in Madrid FCBarcelona com Archived from the original on 2 January 2021 Retrieved 24 January 2017 Iniesta awarded Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sports Merit in Spain www efe com Archived from the original on 2 January 2021 Retrieved 5 June 2018 External links Edit Media related to Andres Iniesta at Wikimedia Commons Official website FC Barcelona official profile Andres Iniesta at BDFutbol National team data at BDFutbol Andres Iniesta at Soccerway Andres Iniesta at National Football Teams com Andres Iniesta FIFA competition record archived Andres Iniesta UEFA competition record archive Andres Iniesta at J League archive in Japanese Blinkfire Analytics stats Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Andres Iniesta amp oldid 1147060017, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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