Barcelona legend Andrés Iniesta retires aged 40 – Lionel Messi & Xavi among his most frequent team-mates

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5 stars played 400+ games with Iniesta 

Andrès Iniesta striking his nation Spain to their first ever World Cup victory with the outside of his boot in 2010 is a moment rooted in every football fan’s brain who grew up in that era. That goal against Netherlands in extra-time of the final was from the same outside of the foot that scored a magnificent goal for Barcelona against Chelsea in the Champions League five years prior. The Spaniard simply epitomised the beautiful game. On Tuesday the great former Barca and Spain midfielder Iniesta announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 40. He confirmed his decision to call time on his illustrious playing career at a star-studded event in the city of Barcelona.

Iniesta joined the Catalan club as a 12-year-old boy in 1996 and went on to make 674 first-team appearances for Barca, helping them win nine La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies. “I never thought this day would come,” Iniesta told friends, family and former team-mates who were in attendance to pay tribute to the former playmaker. “All these tears that we have shed during these days are tears of emotion and pride. They are not tears of sadness, they are tears of that boy from Fuentealbilla, who had the dream of being a footballer and I achieved it, we achieved it.” Iniesta left Barcelona in 2018 and joined Japanese side Vissel Kobe, where he made a significant impact in the J-League before announcing his departure last year.

The midfield magician has lined up alongside some of the very best players of his generation and was part of both a Spain team and a Barcelona team that typified the ‘tiki-taka’ era of football. But which superstars did Iniesta play the most games alongside during his trophy-glittered career? Here at Transfermarkt, we have compiled a list of the top 20, with some top names cropping up. The Spaniard could pick quite the XI from players he had played with.

Leading the way is the great Lionel Messi. The Argentine and Iniesta formed one of the deadliest partnerships the game has ever seen, lining up alongside each other as many as 488 times – all of which were for Barcelona. They were involved in 53 goal participations together, assisting each other time and time again. In second place is Iniesta’s midfield maestro partner Xavi. The pair are two of the best midfielders the game has ever seen, it was almost cheating they played for the same team for 486 games. In third is goalkeeper Víctor Valdés who played with Iniesta 480 times.

Fourth place for the most games played alongside Iniesta goes to midfield partner Sergio Busquets who played 440 times with him for Barca and Spain. In fifth is centre-back Gerard Piqué with 420 games alongside Iniesta. He is followed by Carles Puyol in sixth with 378 games, whilst full-back Dani Alves takes seventh with 297 games. Eighth place goes to Pedro with 257 matches, with Jordi Alba in ninth with 248 games. Completing the top 10 is Argentine Javier Mascherano, who played 242 matches with Iniesta.

As you can see above, if we put together an XI of Iniesta’s most frequent teammates, it makes quite the star-studded side. It pays testament to the great talent of the Spaniard that he played so many matches with so many greats of the modern game. His retirement will mark a sad day for many football fans, but the great Andrés Iniesta’s career should not stop being celebrated. Over 1,000 games played for club and country, 107 goals scored, and 193 laid on for his teammates. A true legend of the game hangs up his boots.