Andrés Iniesta will announce on the 8th that he is definitively leaving football. The hero of the 2010 World Cup and Barcelona legend has summoned his followers on social networks to next Tuesday for an announcement about his future which, predictably, will be that of his farewell to the playing fields.
The man from La Mancha has shared a video on social networks to announce it in which the renowned urban artist Tvboy paints a mural on a wall in which it is Andrés himself with a spray in his hand on which he writes “welcome to my future” along with the date of the next 8th. “Soon” is the only thing he added in this mysterious ‘post’ on Instagram.
As he also shared on his social networks, Andrés Iniesta was training in Dubai after ending his contract with the Emirates Club on July 1. On September 1 and still without a destination, everything indicates that the eternal number 8 of Barça and 6 of Spain will hang up the boots that brought so much joy one summer day in 2010 in South Africa, kicking with his right hand the Jabulani that was bouncing in the Netherlands area .
A dream career
Born in Fuentealbilla, Andrés Iniesta began playing in the Albacete Balompié youth team and soon attracted the attention of the big clubs. Barcelona was finally the one who recruited the young man to finish polishing his talent. Iniesta rose through the ranks until Louis Van Gaal, one of the greatest talent scouts to ever grace the European bench, gave him his debut against Bruges in the Champions League in 2002 with the number 34 on his back.
There he began a dream career in Barcelona that confirmed him within the club along with Rijkaard and definitively elevated him to the status of a world star alongside Guardiola and Luis Enrique, with whom he won two trebles. Andrés distributed and broke defenses, being the fine edge of a historic midfield alongside Sergio Busquets, the ‘closer’, and Xavi Hernández, with a more directive role. In a period with lights and shadows, Andrés won four Champions Leagues, nine Leagues, six Copa del Rey, three club World Cups, three European Super Cups and seven Spanish Super Cups. In 2018 he decided to change his career, attracted by Japanese culture, and signed for Vissel Kobe, where he was also champion of everything at the national level. In 2023 his love affair in Japan ended and he decided to sign for the Emirates Club of the United Arab Emirates, which he says will be the last team of his career.
With Spain he debuted at a time of transition under Luis Aragonés and then was capital for subsequent successes. Iniesta was key in the 2008 Euro Cup and added even more importance in the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 Euro Cup. In South Africa he scored the winning goal in the final against Holland that gave Spain its first star and remembered his great friend, Dani Jarque. Everything aligned to become, surely, the most beloved player in Spanish football. One who, this coming day 8, will possibly start a new life.
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