Lionel Messi has paid tribute to former Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta as his fellow World Cup winner heads into retirement at the age of 40.
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World Cup winner hanging up his bootsLanded the biggest prizes in footballMany of those won alongside MessiFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Iniesta is calling time on his illustrious career after gracing the very top of the game. He claimed a global crown with Spain in 2010 – scoring a legendary extra-time goal in the final against the Netherlands – and also savoured two European Championship triumphs with La Roja.
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At club level, he took in 674 appearances for Barca after stepping out of their famed La Masia academy system. He won nine La Liga titles at Camp Nou and the Champions League on four occasions. He left for Japanese side Vissel Kobe in 2018 and has most recently been on the books of Emirates Club in the UAE.
WHAT MESSI SAID
Iniesta teased his retirement in a nod towards his iconic shirt number – in a video on social media. Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi responded to that news by saying in a post of his own: “One of the team-mates with the most magic and of the one's I enjoyed playing together the most. Andres Iniesta, the ball will miss you and so will we! I wish you the best, always. You are a phenomenon.”
InstagramWHAT NEXT FOR INIESTA?
Iniesta officially announced his retirement at a special farewell event in Barcelona on October 8. There had been talk of Iniesta reuniting with Messi at Inter Miami – as he joined the group of former Barcelona stars in MLS – but no deal was done, and he will now turn his attention to coaching.
