Andres Iniesta Announces Retirement from Football at Age 40
Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andres Iniesta has officially announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 40. Iniesta, who had a successful stint with Japanese club Vissel Kobe and most recently played for UAE Pro League team Emirates, had the option to extend his contract until 2025 but has chosen to retire instead.
Iniesta began his illustrious career at FC Barcelona, joining the club at just 12 years old and making his senior debut in 2002. Over his remarkable career, he made 674 appearances for Barcelona, ranking fourth in the club’s history, behind legends Lionel Messi (778), Xavi (767), and Sergio Busquets (722).
During a heartfelt press conference, a tearful Iniesta expressed his emotions: “Please allow me to be a little emotional today… I never thought this day would come. Yes, all these tears we have shed these days are tears of emotion, of pride. They are not tears of sadness. They are tears of that boy from a small town like Fuentealbilla, who had the dream of being a footballer and we achieved it after a lot of hard work, sacrifice… of never giving up, essential values in my life. I feel very proud of this path, with all the people who have accompanied me.”
Throughout his time at Barcelona, Iniesta scored 35 goals in 442 La Liga appearances, maintaining an impressive unbeaten record in the 35 league games where he found the net (W33 D2). Notably, only Angel Correa (58 games) has scored in more matches without losing in La Liga during the 21st century.
Iniesta’s trophy cabinet is filled with accolades, including 29 major honors with Barcelona, such as nine La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League trophies, two UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups.
On the international stage, Iniesta made 131 appearances for Spain, ranking fifth in the history of the national team. He is perhaps best known for scoring the winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final, leading La Roja to their first-ever World Cup victory. His goal, scored in the 116th minute against the Netherlands, remains the latest winning goal in World Cup final history.
Iniesta was also a key player in Spain’s European Championship triumphs in 2008 and 2012, earning the Player of the Tournament award in the latter edition. Despite his significant contributions, he holds the record for the most attempts (34) without scoring in three appearances at the Euros finals (2008, 2012, 2016), a unique statistic since at least the 1980 edition
