Xavi Hernández

Xavi Hernández set the rhythm for Barcelona and Spain through their most successful era. A product of La Masia, he made his first-team debut in 1998 and stayed until 2015, forming a midfield trio with Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets that won two trebles. A slight figure with a low centre of gravity, he was never quick or physically imposing. His game was about finding a free yard of grass, taking the ball and moving it on before anyone could close him down. He described the job himself: "That's what I do: look for spaces. All day. I'm always looking." At the 2010 World Cup he completed more passes than anyone, with a 91% success rate, and at Euro 2012 he attempted more passes against the Republic of Ireland than any player had managed in a single European Championship match. Before the 2009 Champions League final, Sir Alex Ferguson said, "I don't think Xavi and Iniesta have ever given the ball away in their lives." Under pressure he relied on a trademark spin, a 360-degree turn known as la pelopina, which shook off the nearest opponent and bought him time to pick the next pass. He was no tackler and rarely a heavy scorer, though he did score a free kick in a cup final and enjoyed his best scoring season in 2011–12. The final ball was his real currency. In the 6–2 Clásico win over Real Madrid during the 2008–09 treble season he set up four goals, and in that season's Champions League final he crossed for Lionel Messi's header against Manchester United. Tournaments showed how much he could carry. Euro 2008 made him its player of the tournament, and he supplied the pass for Fernando Torres's winner in the final. At the 2010 World Cup he covered more ground than any other player, almost 15 kilometres in the final alone, so the passing came with a lot of running. In the Euro 2012 final he set up two goals, becoming the first player to assist in two European Championship finals. Coaches and pundits talked about his brain far more than his body. Jorge Valdano said, "If football was a science, Xavi would have discovered the formula." When Xavi left the national team in 2014, Vicente del Bosque said "he was more important to us than even the manager." Nicknamed The Puppet Master and praised for his leadership, he finished third in the Ballon d'Or three years running and, as captain, lifted the Champions League trophy in his final Barcelona appearance in 2015. He finished his playing days at Al Sadd in Qatar in 2019 and turned to coaching, winning La Liga as Barcelona manager in 2022–23. As of October 2026 he is head coach of the Netherlands.