Finally, what was an open secret has now become official. The legend of FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team, Andrés Iniesta, has decided to 'hang up his boots' after 22 years of a sporting career where successes abounded, magic overflowed, and great partnerships were forged on the field, some transcending into friendships beyond the pitch.
As expected, following the release of the video announcing the decision of the Fuentealbilla native, reactions were swift. One of them turned out to be particularly symbolic, why? Because it came from none other than one of the greatest footballers in history, who will remain in the historical records as the teammate with whom he shared the field the most (488 matches and 32,236 minutes of action) at FC Barcelona: Lionel Andrés Messi.
The '10' of Inter Miami and the Argentine national team did not hesitate to use his social media, @LeoMessi, to send a touching message to the talented Spanish midfielder upon his retirement. "One of the teammates with the most magic and whom I enjoyed playing with the most. Andrés Iniesta, the ball will miss you and so will all of us. I wish you all the best always, you are a phenomenon," stated 'La Pulga', accompanying his message with a photo of himself celebrating a goal with Iniesta against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2018, in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
How did Leo Messi and Andrés Iniesta perform playing together?
The partnership between Leo Messi and Andrés Iniesta was undeniably fruitful in many aspects. Together, they won 336 matches, drew 96, and lost only 56. Regarding their combined goal contributions, it amounts to 53: 43 goals by the Argentine with assists from the Spaniard and 10 goals by the Spaniard with assists from the Rosario native. Together, they have won 32 titles: four Champions Leagues, nine La Liga titles, six Copa del Rey trophies, seven Spanish Super Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups; all achieved wearing the colors of FC Barcelona.