Xavi Hernandez

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Xavi's journey began at La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, which he joined at age 11 from UFB Jàbac Terrassa and Terrassa FC. He made his way through the youth and reserve teams, becoming a key member of the Barcelona B team that won promotion to the Second Division. Initially inspired by compatriot playmaker Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, as a child Xavi also watched a lot of English football and looked up to midfielders John Barnes, Paul Gascoigne and Matt Le Tissier. His first-team debut came against Mallorca in August 1998 at age 18, and he scored his first goal in the 1998 Supercopa de España against the same opponent. Under the initial management guidance of 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, 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 Their Own Story

In the 2009 Copa del Rey final against Athletic Bilbao, Xavi scored the fourth goal in a 4–1 win with a free-kick. In La Liga, one of his most significant games was the 6–2 Clásico victory over Real Madrid on 2 May 2009, where he assisted four goals — once to Carles Puyol, once to Thierry Henry and twice to Lionel Messi. He helped Barcelona win the 2009 Champions League final 2–0 against Manchester United, assisting the second goal by crossing the ball to Lionel Messi for his header. Prior to that match, Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson praised the central midfield combination of Xavi and Andrés Iniesta, stating, 'I don't think Xavi and Iniesta have ever given the ball away in their lives. They get you on that carousel and they can leave you dizzy.' On 2 January 2011, in a league match against Levante, Xavi made his 549th appearance for the club in all competitions, matching the record held by Migueli, and later became the player with the most appearances for Barcelona of all time. On 28 May 2011, Xavi was imperious in the 2011 UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium as Barcelona defeated Manchester United 3–1. In the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup final, Barcelona won 4–0 against Brazilian side Santos as Xavi scored a goal and made an assist to Lionel Messi.

Reader's Guide

Xavi Hernández redefined the central midfielder role at FC Barcelona from his debut in 1998 until his departure in 2015. He played 767 official matches for the club, a former record now held by Lionel Messi, and scored 85 goals. As the metronome of the team, he was the all-time Spanish top assist provider in the UEFA Champions League with 30 assists. His trophy haul includes five La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey titles, and three Champions League titles, including two continental trebles in 2008–09 and 2014–15. With Spain, Xavi played an integral role in their 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. He 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 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 made his 549th appearance for Barcelona on 2 January 2011, matching the club record held by Migueli.
• With two assists in the UEFA Euro 2012 Final, Xavi became the first player to make assists in two separate European finals.
• Xavi was awarded the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker award four consecutive times from 2008 to 2011.