Nine-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi has said former Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta possessed “magic” after the 2010 Fifa World Cup winner announced his retirement.
Barca academy product Iniesta has ended his career at the age of 40 following a five-year stay with Japanese side Vissel Kobe between 2018 and 2023 and a brief spell in the United Arab Emirates.
El Juego Continúa ❤️⚽️ 8️⃣🔟2️⃣4️⃣ pic.twitter.com/YLrDOfxVCB
— Andrés Iniesta (@andresiniesta8) October 7, 2024
“One of the team-mates with the most magic and of the ones I enjoyed playing together with the most,” Messi responded on social media.
“Andres Iniesta, the ball will miss you and so will we. I wish you the best, always. You are a phenomenon.”
A magician. A phenomenon.
Don Andrés Iniesta 🎩@andresiniesta8 | #UCL pic.twitter.com/WGT2mSjzDm
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 8, 2024
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Iniesta ‘never imagined’ retirement
Iniesta, who made his Barcelona debut in 2002, was runner-up to Messi in the 2010 Ballon d’Or and third in 2012 as the Argentina captain again won the most prestigious individual award in football.
Messi had made his bow for the club in 2004 and the pair went on to win La Liga nine times and the Champions League on four occasions, among a remarkable haul of trophies.
An unforgettable Iniesta moment. 🇪🇸✨#FIFAWorldCup | @andresiniesta8 pic.twitter.com/jE0WLHpr8N
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) October 7, 2024
While Messi had to wait until 2022 to win the World Cup, Iniesta lifted the trophy with La Roja in 2010, in between winning successive editions of the Euro, including being named Player of the Tournament in 2012.
“I never thought this day would come,” Iniesta said in his announcement. “I never imagined it. All these tears we have shed are tears of emotion, of pride.
♾️ ANDRÉS INIESTA! ♾️ pic.twitter.com/Lu01uSksPd
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 8, 2024
“They are not tears of sadness. They are tears of that boy from a small town like Fuentealbilla, who had the dream of being a footballer. We achieved it after a lot of hard work, sacrifice, of never giving up – essential values in my life.”
Guardiola: Iniesta ‘gave me boost’
Current Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who oversaw Barca’s Champions League triumphs in 2009 and 2011, called Iniesta “one of the most important talents”.
Iniesta, your football will live on forever. pic.twitter.com/bjrCf6GBIJ
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 8, 2024
Revealing how Iniesta had helped him overcome a two-game winless start to the 2008-09 season, Guardiola said: “We had just one point out of six and we were almost in [the] relegation [zone].
“But when a player like Andres tells you you’re on the right path, people are happy. Everything will be fine, it will be fine. It gave me a boost of energy to keep going and I will always be grateful.”
