Andres Iniesta retires: How he, Xavi and Sergio Busquets changed football forever at Barcelona

A member of football’s greatest midfield trio ever - Andres Iniesta - will retire from professional football on October 8, according to Spanish outlet Revolo. Alongside Sergio Busquets and Xavi, the three launched Barcelona to previously inconceivable heights both domestically and in Europe.

With Iniesta’s retirement just around the corner, it leaves Busquets as the only member of their triumvirate who is still playing professional football. Currently, the 36-year-old plays for Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

Furthermore, they also played together for Spain, each being an integral cog in La Roja’s machine during their era of dominance from 2008 to 2012. In honour of them, let’s take a look back at their biggest achievements in football.

Xavi and Iniesta initially linked up all the way back in 2002, when Iniesta joined Barcelona - it would not be until 2008, when Busquets signed for Barca, that we would see the trio form. They remained together until 2015, when Xavi left the Camp Nou to join Al Sadd in the Qatari League.

During this seven-year period, Barcelona won five La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey trophies and three Champions League trophies. While playing for Spain, they collectively won the Euros in 2008 and 2012, as well as the World Cup in 2010.

While several managers came and went at Barcelona during this time, the midfield three remained untouched. They played under Pep Guardiola initially, followed by Tito Vilanova, Gerardo Martino and Luis Enrique.

Xavi would eventually return to Barcelona as a manager, though he failed to recapture his Camp Nou success from the dugout. While he won the La Liga title in 2023, he was eventually sacked at the end of the 2023/24 season after a disappointing campaign. Iniesta remained with Barcelona until 2018 - he left the club to join Vissel Kobe in Japan, eventually making the jump to Emirates in the UAE Pro League.