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Iniesta
Andrs Iniesta Lujn (andes injesta luxan) born 11 May
Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central
r FC Barcelona and the Spain national team. He serves as
r Barcelona. Iniesta came through La Masia, the Barcelona
after an early emigration from his birthplace, and
an early age. He made his first-team debut in 2002, aged
playing regularly during the 200405 season and has
remained in the team ever since. He was an
integral part of the Barcelona team that
a historic six
trophies in 2009. Iniesta is considered to be
of the best players of his generation and
of the
greatest midfielders of all time.

Iniesta played for Spain at the Under-16, Under-19 and Under-21 levels before making
his international debut in 2006. He was selected in the team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He
helped Spain win Euro 2008, playing every game and being selected in the UEFA Team of the
Tournament. Iniesta was also chosen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was a key member of
the victorious Spanish team; he scored the winning goal in the final against the Netherlands and
was named the Man of the Match, and was also selected to the tournament's All-Star Team.
At Euro 2012, Iniesta steered Spain to their second consecutive continental crown, being chosen
as the Best Player of the Tournament and winning 3 Man of the Match awards (including in
the final against Italy).
Iniesta won the UEFA Best Player in Europe award in 2012, and was also chosen as the
Best Player of the 201112 UEFA Champions League. He was runner-up to Lionel Messi for
the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or and achieved third place in 2012. He was named by IFFHS as the
World's Best Playmaker in 2012 and 2013, and won the La Liga Spanish Player of the Year
award in 2009. Iniesta has been chosen in the UEFA Team of the Year four times (2009, 2010,
2011, 2012), and has been voted into the FIFA World XI on six occasions: 2009, 2010, 2011,
2012, 2013 and 2014. In recognition of his outstanding performances with club and country, as
well as his individual and team achievements, Iniesta received the Marca Legend Award in
2011. In 2014 he received theGolden Foot Award.

Youth career
19941996

Albacete

19962001

Barcelona

Career

Senior career*
Years

Team

20012003

Barcelona B

2002

Barcelona

Apps

(Gls)

54

(5)

370

(34)

National team
2000

Spain U15

(0)

20002001

Spain U16

(1)

2001

Spain U17

(0)

20012002

Spain U19

(1)

Iniesta
comes
from Fuentealbilla, a small village in
the province of Albacete, CastileLa
Mancha. At the age of 12, while playing
forAlbacete Balompi in a junior sevena-side tournament in Albacete, he
attracted the attention of scouts from
many clubs around Spain. His parents
knew the FC Barcelona youth team
coach, Enrique Orizaola, and he
persuaded them to consider sending
Iniesta to the Barcelona youth academy.
Iniesta traveled there with his parents
and visited La Masia, the farmhouse
where the club houses its young
players; the trip convinced them to
enroll Iniesta in the Barcelona youth
ranks.

Iniesta says he "cried rivers" the

day he left for La Masia and struggled
20032006
Spain U21
18
(6) being separated from his parents; he
was very shy and kept to himself while
2006
Spain
107
(13) there. He captained the Barcelona
Under-15 team to victory in the Nike
2004
Catalonia
1
(0
Premier Cup of 1999, scoring the
winning goal in the last minute of the
final, and being named player of the tournament. Just after Iniesta arrived at the club, then
Barcelona midfielder Pep Guardiola famously told fellow midfielder Xavi, "You're going to
retire me. This lad [Iniesta] is going to retire us all.
2003

Spain U20

(3)

Personal life
Since 2008, Iniesta has dated Anna Ortiz,and in September 2010 he confirmed that she
was pregnant with his child. On 3 April 2011 she gave birth to their daughter Valeria. The
couple married on 8 July 2012.On 27 October 2013, he confirmed that Anna was pregnant with
a baby boy. On 7 March 2014, Iniesta and his wife lost their son due to miscarriage.
In 2011, Iniesta invested 420,000 in his boyhood club, Albacete, thus becoming its
major shareholder.Two years later, with the club facing administrative relegation to the fourth
tier of Spanish football, he loaned them a further 240,000 to cover unpaid wages. Iniesta is
a Catholic. He made a promise to walk the Way of Saint James if Spain won the 2010 World
Cup.

Honours

#Club
Barcelona

La Liga: 200405, 200506, 200809, 200910, 201011, 201213, 201415

Copa del Rey: 200809, 201112, 201415

Supercopa de Espaa: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013

UEFA Champions League: 200506, 200809, 201011, 201415

UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015

FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011

# International

FIFA World Cup: 2010

UEFA European Football Championship: 2008, 2012

UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship: 2002

UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship: 2001

FIFA Confederations Cup: Runner-up 2013

# Individual

UEFA Best Player in Europe Award: 2012

Euro 2012 Player of the Tournament: 2012

UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2008, 2012
UEFA Euro Final Man of the Match: 2012
UEFA Champions League Best Player: 201112
UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match: 2015
FIFA Ballon d'Or: 2nd place 2010, 4th Place 2011, 3rd Place 2012
Onze de Bronze: 2009
La Liga Spanish Player of the Year: 2009
Trofeo Alfredo di Stfano: 2nd best player in La Liga 200809, 3rd in 201112
IFFHS World's Best Playmaker: 2012, 2013
La Liga's Best Attacking Midfielder: 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014.
Marca Legend Award: 2011
FIFA Confederations Cup Silver Ball: 2013
FIFA Pusks Award: 2nd place 2009
FIFA World Cup Dream Team: 2010
FIFA World Cup Final Man of the Match: 2010

FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 201415
UEFA Team of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
ESM Team of the Year: 201011
Golden Foot: 2014

UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year (published 2015)

# Decorations

Prince of Asturias Awards: 2010

Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011