Spain and Barcelona great Iniesta retires, aged 40

Spain World Cup winner Andres Iniesta has retired from playing at the age of 40.

Iniesta is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, thanks in part to the midfield partnerships he formed with Xavi Hernandez and Sergio Busquets for Spain and Barcelona.

He earned 131 caps for his country, scoring the winning goal in the 2010 Fifa World Cup final and winning the European Championship in 2008 and 2012.

Speaking at an event in Barcelona, a visibly emotional Iniesta said he planned to go into coaching.

"Being on the pitch is over," he said. "I can't stay away from football, it's my life and will continue to be my life.

"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."

Iniesta spent the majority of his 22-year career at Barcelona after graduating from the club's La Masia academy.

He made his senior debut in 2002 and went on to win 29 honours, including nine La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues crowns.

One of his most memorable goals was a spectacular stoppage-time equaliser to knock Chelsea out of the 2009 Champions League semi-final, with Barcelona going on to beat Manchester United in the final.

In 2018 Iniesta joined Japanese side Vissel Kobe before moving to the United Arab Emirates in 2023 to play for UAE Pro League side Emirates.

He was runner-up in the 2010 Ballon d'Or and included in the Fifa Fifpro World 11 for nine successive years between 2009 and 2017.

Iniesta later revealed that he had battled depression shortly before the 2010 World Cup following the death of his friend, Espanyol midfielder Dani Jarque.

In a BBC Sport column in 2022, Iniesta said: "There was a time when the months were dark, after my friend Dani Jarque died in 2009, but it ended with a truly magical moment - me scoring the winner for Spain in the 2010 World Cup final.

"That is what I would tell any people who are struggling now - that the worst moment of your life can be followed by the most important moment in your life."

Argentina great Lionel Messi paid tribute to his former Barcelona team-mate on social media.

"One of the most magical teammates and one of those who I most enjoyed playing together," the Inter Miami forward said.

"Andres Iniesta, the ball will miss you and so will we. I wish you all the best, you are a phenomenon."

Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague described Iniesta as the "The greatest player in Spanish football".

Speaking on the Football Daily Euro League's podcast, Balague said: "He is remembered for a couple of goals, the World Cup final goal and the semi-final goal against Chelsea. But he was a supplier and he did a lot of magical things on the hardest part of the pitch. He was so much more than a goalscorer.

"He was clinically depressed in the [2010] World Cup and was one of the first to open up about mental health issues. He is a lovely guy, and at Barcelona it is the dream he comes back one day. He will stay in football I think and will be greatly missed."

European football journalist Mina Rzouki said Iniesta "changed what we view as a great player".

She said: "He was not the quickest, wasn’t the tallest but his speed of thought was like a robot in his head. Everything moved so fast in that brain, his dribbling, his moving in tight place."

French football journalist Julian Laurens added: "In terms of ball control, there are not many players better than Iniesta. A joy to watch and the memories you have of him will stay in your head forever."

Source: BBC