Xavi Hernandez

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. 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. After retirement, Xavi transitioned to management. In May 2019, he became manager of Al Sadd, where he won seven trophies in less than three years. In November 2021, Xavi was appointed as manager at his former club Barcelona.

Reader's Guide

Xavi is a legendary midfielder known for his exceptional passing and vision. He spent most of his playing career at Barcelona, making 767 official appearances and scoring 85 goals. He was a key part of Barcelona's tiki-taka system alongside Iniesta and Busquets, winning multiple La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League titles. Internationally, he was instrumental in Spain's Euro 2008, Euro 2012, and 2010 World Cup triumphs. After retiring, he managed Al Sadd and later Barcelona, winning La Liga and the Supercopa de España.