Andres Iniesta broke down in tears in an emotional video posted on his social media, as the former Barcelona and Spain midfielder appeared to announce his retirement.
Iniesta has recently been playing in the United Arab Emirates after spending six seasons with Japan’s Vissel Kobe, but scrutiny increased last week as the 40-year-old prepared to end his career.
In a post on his X Channel and Instagram channel titled “The Game Continues 81024”, Iniesta was asked what soccer meant to him, and he answered, “Soccer for me is…” before backing away in frustration. did.
Former managers Josep Guardiola, Luis Enrique and Louis van Gaal then paid tribute to Iniesta. Iniesta helped Spain win the 2010 World Cup with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands as the winner in extra time.
Judging from the title of the video, we expect an official announcement to be made on Tuesday.
Iniesta is considered one of the best midfielders of his era, or any era, and helped Barcelona and Spain win multiple trophies with his partnership with compatriot Xavi in the center of the park. .
As well as winning the 2010 World Cup, Iniesta, who has won 131 caps, also helped his country win the European Championship in 2008 and 2012.
He played 674 games in 16 seasons for Barcelona, winning trophies including four Champions League titles and nine La Liga titles before leaving the club in May 2018.
Iniesta won three titles with Vissel Kobe and joined the Emirates last year on a 12-month contract. Although there was an option to extend his contract by another year, Iniesta appears to have called an end to his career.
