Xavi Hernández's 767 appearances

Lore & Background

Xavi joined La Masia at age 11 and made his first-team debut against Mallorca in August 1998, age 18. For Barcelona, he played 767 official matches, a former club record—now held by Lionel Messi—and scored 85 goals. With the initial management guidance by Pep Guardiola and using the tiki-taka football philosophy, Xavi was part of a widely lauded midfield combination trio with Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets; from 2008 to 2015 the trio together were instrumental in Barcelona's exceptional on-field successes in 7 seasons, winning five La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey titles and three Champions League titles, including two continental trebles in 2008–09 and 2014–15. Xavi was the first player in the club's history to play 150 European and FIFA Club World Cup matches combined. In 2015, he left Barcelona for Al Sadd, where he won six trophies before retiring in 2019.

In Their Own Story

Under the floodlights, the grass is immaculate, and the ball rests at Xavi's feet. He doesn't scan; he knows where everyone is—the overlapping run on the left, the striker dropping deep, the pressing defender stepping out. With a touch so soft it seems almost lazy, he shifts his weight and taps the ball forward. It travels twenty yards, slicing through three opponents who never even twitched, landing with surgical precision at Andrés's feet. The crowd erupts not for a goal, but for the silence that preceded it.

Reader's Guide

With Spain, Xavi won the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1999, and the Olympic silver medal at the 2000 Olympics. He made his senior team debut in 2000 and was capped 133 times for Spain. Xavi played an integral role in Spain's 2010 FIFA World Cup win, as well as their UEFA Euro 2008 and UEFA Euro 2012 victories. He was named Player of the Tournament at UEFA Euro 2008 and was named in the UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament in 2008 and 2012. With two assists in the UEFA Euro 2012 Final, Xavi became the first player to make assists in two separate European finals. After the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Xavi announced his retirement from international football. Xavi came third place in both the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year and FIFA Ballon d'Or, followed by third place in the Ballon d'Or in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, he was runner up to Messi for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. Xavi was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award in 2012. He was awarded the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker award four consecutive times from 2008 to 2011. He was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI six times from 2008 to 2013, and in the UEFA Team of the Year five times from 2008 to 2012. In 2020, Xavi was named in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team, a greatest all-time XI published by France Football.

Did You Know?

• Xavi is the all-time Spanish top assist provider in the UEFA Champions League with 30 assists.
• He was the first player in Barcelona's history to play 150 European and FIFA Club World Cup matches combined.
• Xavi was named Player of the Tournament at UEFA Euro 2008.
• He won the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker award four consecutive times from 2008 to 2011.