Iniesta, Andrés

Andrés Iniesta, in full Andrés Iniesta Luján, (born May 11, 1984, Fuentealbilla, Spain), Spanish football (soccer) player who helped his country win the Euro title in 2008 and 2012 and the 2010 World Cup; it was the first time a national squad had captured three consecutive major world championships.

Iniesta was born in a small village in the province of Albacete, Spain. He began playing for Albacete juniors at age 8, and at age 12 he was spotted by leading club scouts while playing in the Brunete Tournament. Iniesta’s family had links with Fútbol Club Barcelona, and he enrolled at La Masia, the club’s youth academy. He was groomed through Barcelona’s various levels, and his ability to control and accurately distribute the ball fitted him ideally for a midfield role, either defending or attacking.

During his third season playing for Barcelona B, Iniesta was introduced into the first team on December 21, 2002, for a La Liga match at Mallorca. He had had his first taste of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League play on October 29, 2002, against Belgium’s FC Bruges. It was not until the 2004–05 season, however, that he became a regular player. He subsequently helped Barcelona win nine La Liga championships, six Copas del Rey (2009, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), seven Spanish Super Cups (2005–06, 2009–11, 2013, 2016), four Champions League titles (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015), and three each of the UEFA Super Cup (2009, 2011, 2015) and FIFA Club World Cup (2009, 2011, 2015) trophies. Iniesta ended his spectacular Barcelona career in 2018 when he joined Japan’s Vissel Kobe.

In international competition, Iniesta began playing for Spain as a youth, collecting Under-16 and Under-19 UEFA championship medals, and on May 27, 2006, he came on as a substitute against Russia. He was not a prolific marksman—averaging one goal every 10 matches over more than 450 club appearances—but instead preferred to function as the consummate team player, creating scoring opportunities for others. Nevertheless, Iniesta scored the winning goal for Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final against the Netherlands, earning him the Man of the Match title. Iniesta was subsequently voted Man of the Match and Best Player of the Tournament at the 2012 European Championships; Spain became the first country to win two consecutive Euro titles. The accolades continued when Iniesta was named UEFA’s Best Player in Europe for 2011–12. Spain’s amazing run ended at the 2014 World Cup, where the squad handily lost its first two games and was eliminated from the tournament. After disappointing round-of-16 eliminations for Spain at the 2016 European Championships and the 2018 World Cup, Iniesta retired from international football.