The only puzzle piece missing from Iniesta’s personal jigsaw is an elusive Ballon d’Or title but he’s won absolutely every team accolade in the world’s most popular team sport.
The Spaniard is widely celebrated and recognized as one of the most technically gifted & skilful players to ever grace modern football’s stages. He famously scored the winner in 2010’s World Cup final staged on African soil for the first time ever, slotting home Cesc Fàbregas’ pass in stoppage time to break Dutch hearts at the Calabash. Iniesta is the only footballer in history to be named as the man of the match in a World Cup, European Championships and UEFA Champions League final. Talk about a big game player.
He didn’t score many goals but when he did, they usually arrived at clutch moments. The World Cup final winner is the obvious example but 2009’s stoppage-time strike at Stamford Bridge was like a dagger to the hearts of Chelsea fans around the world, and it sent Barça to the Champions League final where they demolished Man United.
🐐 Iniesta’s honours
- 🌍 World Cup
- 🇪🇺 2x European Championships
- 🏆 4x UEFA Champions League
- 🇪🇸 9x LaLiga
- 🇪🇸 6x Copa Del Rey
- 🇪🇸 7x Spanish Super Cup
- 🗺 3x FIFA Club World Cup
- 🏆 3x UEFA Super Cup
- 🇯🇵 Japanese Cup
- 🇯🇵 Japanese Super Cup
- 🔵 674 Barcelona appearances (3rd all-time)
- 🔴 131 Spain caps (4th all-time)
Iniesta seemed to effortlessly glide across the pitch like a ballerina, making the game of football look ridiculously easy. If defenders dared to blink they’d miss him as he pirouetted into space that they just didn’t have the imagination to occupy. One of the greatest that ever played the game.
