Lionel Messi has hailed former teammate Andres Iniesta as the Barcelona legend announced his retirement from professional football after a fulfilling career. The Spanish midfielder retires after a brief stint with Emirati club Emirates despite having an option to extend his contract until 2025.
Iniesta enjoyed a storied career, beginning from his academy days with the famous La Masia academy of Barcelona. The Spaniard made his senior bow for the club in 2002, two years before a 17-year-old Messi made his debut for the same club.
Lionel Messi and Iniesta formed part of the spine of the Barcelona team that dominated Europe, winning the UEFA Champions League in 2009, 2011, and 2015. Alongside the likes of Xavi and Sergio Busquets, the quartet were arguably La Blaugrana’s most important players in this period.
Messi penned an emotional message as his friend and former teammate announced his retirement on October 8. The Argentine great posted on his Instagram story, praising the 40-year-old as one of those he enjoyed playing with the most.
“One of the teammates with the most magic and one of those I enjoyed playing with the most. The ball is going to miss you, and so will all of us. I wish you the best always, you’re a phenomenon,” Messi wrote.
Andres Iniesta and Messi shared the pitch as teammates about 486 times between 2004 and 2018, when he left the club for Japanese club Vissel Kobe. The midfielder won 32 trophies in his time at the Nou Camp and was captain of the side before Messi took the armband.
Iniesta made 674 senior appearances for Barcelona, whose academy he joined in 1996 as a 12-year-old. He won the J-League in 2023 before moving to the UAE to play for Emirates in the final year of his professional career.
Revisiting Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta’s career achievements
Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta were more than just teammates at Barcelona, achieving significant success in their 14 years together at the club. The pair formed part of a strong core of the club that was made in the famed La Masia academy.
Messi and Iniesta played 486 official matches together, winning nine LaLiga titles in their time as teammates. They also won the treble in 2009 and 2015, playing key roles in the most successful period in the history of the club.
Like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta won the FIFA World Cup, scoring in the final against the Netherlands in 2010. The Argentine great emulated his former teammate 12 years later by scoring in, and winning the FIFA World Cup final against France. Both men won successive continental trophies with their respective national teams, Iniesta with Spain in 2008 and 2012, and Messi with Argentina in 2021 and 2024.
Edited by Nihal
