Legendary midfielder Andres Iniesta is set to announce his retirement from professional football, following a heartfelt video posted on social media.
The 40-year-old, who has been playing in the United Arab Emirates after a stint in Japan, hinted at the end of his career in a recent post on his X and Instagram channels titled, ‘the game continues 81024’. When asked what football meant to him, Iniesta became visibly emotional, unable to complete his sentence.
Former coaches Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique, and Louis van Gaal joined in paying tribute to the Spanish icon, who famously scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands.
Given the title of the video, an official retirement announcement is expected on Tuesday.
Iniesta, widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, formed a legendary partnership with Xavi Hernandez at Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
Together, they won multiple trophies, including four Champions League titles and nine La Liga championships with Barcelona, as well as two European Championships and one World Cup with Spain.
After a successful stint with Vissel Kobe in Japan, Iniesta joined Emirates Club in the UAE last year. However, it appears that his playing days are now over.