📸 Andrés Iniesta, Spain footballer: Photo Gallery (Photo: 10)

📄 Summary

Andrés Iniesta

Spain

11 May 1984

midfielder

43.7M @andresiniesta8 Andrés Iniesta Instagram

Andrés Iniesta is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the manager of UAE First Division League club Gulf United. He spent most of his career at La Liga club Barcelona. Widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, he was lauded for his balance, ball control and agility in close spaces, combined with his skill, composure, and flair on the ball. In addition, he is also one of a select number of players who have amassed over 1,000 career appearances.

Iniesta joined Barcelona's La Masia academy after moving from his birthplace at a young age and quickly emerged as one of the club's prospects. He made his first-team debut aged 18 in 2002 and became a regular during Barcelona's 2004–05 La Liga-winning campaign. The following season, he played a key role as the club achieved a league and UEFA Champions League double. His reputation continued to grow, culminating in a vital role in Barcelona's historic treble-winning campaign in 2008–09. Iniesta was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year in 2009, the first of nine and six selections, respectively. In 2010–11, Iniesta won his third Champions League title as Barcelona completed another domestic double. He won the UEFA Best Player in Europe award in 2012 and was named the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker in 2012 and 2013. In 2014–15, he was part of another treble success.

In total, Iniesta won 33 trophies with Barça, which include nine La Liga titles and four Champions League titles, making him the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time. With the initial management guidance by Pep Guardiola and using the tiki-taka football philosophy, Iniesta was part of a widely lauded midfield combination trio with Xavi and Sergio Busquets; from 2008 to 2015, the trio together were instrumental in Barcelona's on-field successes in seven seasons. After 22 years at Barcelona, Iniesta signed for J1 League club Vissel Kobe in 2018. After leaving the club in 2023, he signed for UAE Pro League club Emirates, eventually retiring in October 2024.

Iniesta played for Spain at the Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 levels before making his senior 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. His performances in 2010 for both club and country saw him being runner-up to Lionel Messi for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or. 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. He achieved third place in the 2012 Ballon d'Or. In 2016, he was named in the All-time UEFA Euro XI. In total, he won 131 caps in twelve years as an international.

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📋 Profile & Career

: Iniesta in 2026

⚽ Personal information:
Full name: Andrés Iniesta Luján
Date of birth: (1984-05-11) 11 May 1984 (age 42)
Place of birth: Fuentealbilla, Spain
Height: 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position: Midfielder

⚽ Team information:
Current team: Gulf United (manager)

⚽ Youth career:
1994–1996: Albacete
1996–2001: Barcelona

⚽ Senior career*:
Years: Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2003: Barcelona B 49 (5)
2002–2018: Barcelona 442 (35)
2018–2023: Vissel Kobe 114 (21)
2023–2024: Emirates 20 (5)
Total: 625 (66)

⚽ 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: Catalonia 1 (0)
2006–2018: Spain 131 (13)

⚽ Managerial career:
2026–: Gulf United