Cesc Fàbregas

Lore & Background

Fàbregas came through Barcelona's La Masia youth academy, leaving at 16 when he was signed by Premier League club Arsenal in September 2003. He established himself in the team during the 2004–05 season after injuries to key midfielders, broke several club records, and won the FA Cup in 2005. He was named in the UEFA Team of the Year twice and the PFA Team of the Year twice. After a protracted transfer saga, he left Arsenal in August 2011 to return to Barcelona for up to £35 million. At Barcelona, he played alongside Xavi and Andrés Iniesta and won a La Liga title, the Copa del Rey, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and two Spanish Super Cups. He returned to London in June 2014 to join Chelsea for £30 million, winning the Premier League twice, the League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Europa League once each. He left for free to Monaco in January 2019 and retired in 2023 after one year in Serie B with Como. Internationally, he debuted for Spain in March 2006, earned his 100th cap in October 2015, and was a key figure in Spain's 2008 and 2012 European Championship victories and their 2010 World Cup triumph, in which he supplied the pass for Iniesta's winning goal.

In Their Own Story

The tunnel at Wembley was still damp from the April rain. Fàbregas stood at the end of the line, his boots untied, his hair falling across his forehead the way it always did after a long run. He could hear the crowd — thirty-eight thousand people breathing as one. The ball was at his feet on the penalty spot, no, not a penalty, a free kick, twenty-five yards out, the angle tight. He took three steps back. The defender who had been marking him all afternoon stopped breathing. Cesc touched the ball once, twice, set it again. Then he ran, his stride long and slightly awkward, and struck it with the inside of his right foot. It curved just enough. The net rippled. He did not celebrate. He simply turned, walked back to the centre circle, and let his teammates find him. That was the Cesc way: the goal was a sentence, not an exclamation mark.

Reader's Guide

Fàbregas played as a central midfielder. He was known for his passing, vision, and creativity. At Arsenal, he wore the number 4 shirt after Patrick Vieira. He was named Arsenal's Player of the Season in June 2007. He won the Golden Boy award in 2006 and was FA Premier League Player of the Month for January 2007.

Did You Know?

• Fàbregas made his Arsenal debut at age 16 years and 177 days, becoming the club's youngest-ever first team player.
• He became the second-youngest goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history after scoring against Rosenborg in 2004–05.
• Fàbregas was in the starting eleven that defeated Manchester United on penalties in the 2005 FA Cup Final.
• He supplied the pass for Andrés Iniesta's winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final.