Xavi
Encyclopedia
Xavier Hernández i Creus (born 25 January 1980), commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi (ˈʃaβi), is a Spanish
footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga
club FC Barcelona
, where he has spent his entire 14-year career.
He has been capped
104 times for the Spanish national team
, with whom he won UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup
. He was named Player of the Tournament by UEFA
at UEFA Euro 2008.
, Barcelona, Catalonia
, Xavi is a product of Barcelona's La Masia youth system
and has been a regular at Camp Nou
since the age of 11. He made his way through the youth and reserve teams and was a key member of Jordi Gonzalvo's FC Barcelona B
team that won promotion to the Second Division
.
, in which he scored against RCD Mallorca
. His début in La Liga
came against Valencia CF
on 3 October 1998 in a 3–1 victory for Barcelona. Initially featuring intermittently both for the reserve and senior teams, Xavi scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Real Valladolid
when Barcelona were 10th in the league. Sustained impressive performance meant that he became a key member of Louis van Gaal
's title-winning team. An injury to Pep Guardiola
in the following 1999–00 season meant that Xavi became Barcelona's principal playmaker, a position he has retained ever since.
s in his left knee in training; he was out of action for five months, missing the majority of the playing season, but returned in April and was on the substitutes bench for the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final
.
, with a free kick.
In La Liga, among many games, one of the most significant is the 6–2 El Clásico
victory vs Real Madrid
on 2 May. He assisted 4 out of 6 goals (once to Puyol, once to Henry and twice to Messi). Finally, Xavi helped Barcelona win the 2009 Champions League Final versus Manchester United
, which ended 2–0, assisting the second goal by passing the ball to Lionel Messi
's header after 69 minutes. Xavi was voted "UEFA Champions League best midfielder" for his contribution during Barcelona's victorious 2008–09 UEFA Champions League campaign. Xavi was La Liga's highest assisting player with 20 assists. He was also the highest assisting player in the Champions League with 7 assists. Xavi earned 29 assists overall that season.
Xavi is under contract to Barça until 2014 after extending his contract during the 2008–09 season. The new contract will make him one of the club's biggest earners, and entitle him to €7.5 million a year.
In the 2009–10 season, Xavi again topped the assists table and provided both the assists in Barcelona's 2–0 victory against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. He was acclaimed the 2nd best player of Barcelona in a season-long voting as Barcelona won the league title with a record 99 points.
On 3 June 2010, the Madrid-based newspaper Marca
awarded Xavi third place in the annual Trofeo Alfredo di Stéfano
award for the best player in La Liga
, behind Lionel Messi
and Cristiano Ronaldo
.
in a 5–0 home win. On 18 December he scored another goal against RCD Espanyol
in a 1–5 win. In the Champions League, Xavi scored a valuable goal against English side Arsenal
during a home match in the UEFA Champions League
that saw Barcelona passing through to the quarter-finals with an assist by teammate David Villa
.
He was one of the three finalists for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or
, alongside Barcelona teammates Messi and Andrés Iniesta
, he finished third on the vote behind Messi and Iniesta.
He narrowly defeated Lionel Messi to win World Soccer's Player of the year.
On 2 January 2011, in a league match against Levante UD
, Xavi made his 549th appearance for the club in all competitions, matching the record held by Migueli
. Following this match Xavi is the player with most appearances with Barcelona of all time.
and the promotion of Thiago Alcântara
to create added competition for places in Barca's star-studded midfield. A tap-in against Real Sociedad was followed up by a delightful lob in the 8-0 mauling of Osasuna with further goals coming from a header in a win over Racing Santander and a wonderful 25-yrd free-kick versus Granada. Xavi scored his first UEFA Champions League
goal of the campaign when he netted the winner at the San Siro ensuring Barcelona finished top of the group with a 3-2 win over AC Milan .
Xavi Hernandez's abilities on the football pitch have led his teams to numerous titles and placed him among the most decorated footballers of all time. The playmaker has won major international titles with Spain and FC Barcelona in the FIFA U-20 World Cup
, the FIFA Club World Cup
and the FIFA World Cup
. His successes on the European stage include winning the UEFA European Football Championship
and the UEFA Champions League
twice. Xavi is also a six time Liga BBVA Champion and played in the Barcelona side that won the famed unprecedented Spanish treble, which culminated in a record six trophies, the sextuple, in one calendar year. On 25 March 2011, Xavi earned his 100th cap for Spain in the 2:1 home win against the Czech Republic
in a Euro 2012 qualifier.
in South Africa
, culminating in winning the World Cup
title. The veteran midfielder finished with an 89 percent pass completion rate over the course of the tournament, completing 599 passes out of 669 passes attempted over all of Spain's seven games. Of those who reached the final
or the third place match, Xavi led the field in passes attempted, passes completed, corners attempted (47), corners completed (26), and deliveries in the penalty area (15).
| 1. || 26 March 2005 || Estadio El Helmántico
, Salamanca
, Spain || || 2–0 || 3–0 || Friendly
|-
| 2. || 6 September 2006 || Windsor Park
, Belfast
, Northern Ireland || || 0–1 || 3–2 || UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
|-
| 3. || 11 October 2006 || Nueva Condomina
, Murcia
, Spain || || 1–0 || 2–1 || Friendly
|-
| 4. || 12 September 2007 || Estadio Carlos Tartiere
, Oviedo
, Spain || || 1–0 || 2–0 || UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
|-
| 5. || 21 November 2007 || Estadio Gran Canaria
, Las Palmas, Spain || || 1–0 || 1–0 || UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
|-
| 6. || 4 June 2008 || Estadio El Sardinero
, Santander
, Spain || || 1–0 || 1–0 || Friendly
|-
| 7. || 26 June 2008 || Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna
, Austria || || 0–1 || 0–3 || UEFA Euro 2008
|-
| 8. || 20 August 2008 || Parken Stadium
, Copenhagen
, Denmark || || 0–2 || 0–3 || Friendly
|-
| 9. || 29 March 2011 || S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas
, Lithuania || || 0–1 || 1–3 || UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
|-
| 10. || 6 September 2011 || Estadio Las Gaunas
, Logroño
, Spain || || 0–3 || 0–6 || UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
|}
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
club FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, where he has spent his entire 14-year career.
He has been capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
104 times for the Spanish national team
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, with whom he won UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. He was named Player of the Tournament by UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
at UEFA Euro 2008.
Early life
Born in TerrassaTerrassa
Terrassa is a city in the east central region of Catalonia, Spain, in the comarca of Vallès Occidental, of which it is the co-capital along with Sabadell, the historic capital....
, Barcelona, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Xavi is a product of Barcelona's La Masia youth system
La Masia
La Masia de Can Planes, usually shortened to La Masia, , is the name given to FC Barcelona's training facilities located near the Camp Nou in the Les Corts district of Barcelona, and is often used to generically describe the youth academy of Barcelona....
and has been a regular at Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
since the age of 11. He made his way through the youth and reserve teams and was a key member of Jordi Gonzalvo's FC Barcelona B
FC Barcelona B
Futbol Club Barcelona B is a Spanish football team. They are the reserve team of FC Barcelona. Reserve teams in the Spanish football league system play in the same football pyramid as their senior team rather than a separate league. However reserve teams cannot play in the same division as their...
team that won promotion to the Second Division
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
.
1998–2004
His progression through the teams earned him a first team debut on 18 August 1998 in the Super Cup finalSupercopa de España
The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
, in which he scored against RCD Mallorca
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
. His début in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
came against Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
on 3 October 1998 in a 3–1 victory for Barcelona. Initially featuring intermittently both for the reserve and senior teams, Xavi scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....
when Barcelona were 10th in the league. Sustained impressive performance meant that he became a key member of Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal OON is a Dutch football manager formerly in charge of Ajax, Netherlands, Barcelona, AZ and Bayern Munich...
's title-winning team. An injury to Pep Guardiola
Josep Guardiola
Josep "Pep" Guardiola i Sala , is a Spanish football manager and former player. Guardiola played as a defensive midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona, whom he currently manages. He was part of Johan Cruyff's dream team that won Barcelona's first European Cup....
in the following 1999–00 season meant that Xavi became Barcelona's principal playmaker, a position he has retained ever since.
2004–2008
He was the vice-captain in the 2004–05 season. In the 2005–06 season, Xavi tore the ligamentLigament
In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote any of three types of structures. Most commonly, it refers to fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua, fibrous ligament, or true ligament.Ligament can also refer to:* Peritoneal...
s in his left knee in training; he was out of action for five months, missing the majority of the playing season, but returned in April and was on the substitutes bench for the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final
2006 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17...
.
2008–09 season
He was a main part of Barcelona's treble and scored the 4th goal in the 4–1 win in the Copa del Rey 2008–09 final against Athletic BilbaoAthletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
, with a free kick.
In La Liga, among many games, one of the most significant is the 6–2 El Clásico
El Clásico
El Clásico , also known as El derbi Español, is the name given in football to a match between Real Madrid and Barcelona. It is contested twice a year in the Spanish La Liga competition, and more often if the clubs meet in other competitions...
victory vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
on 2 May. He assisted 4 out of 6 goals (once to Puyol, once to Henry and twice to Messi). Finally, Xavi helped Barcelona win the 2009 Champions League Final versus Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, which ended 2–0, assisting the second goal by passing the ball to Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
's header after 69 minutes. Xavi was voted "UEFA Champions League best midfielder" for his contribution during Barcelona's victorious 2008–09 UEFA Champions League campaign. Xavi was La Liga's highest assisting player with 20 assists. He was also the highest assisting player in the Champions League with 7 assists. Xavi earned 29 assists overall that season.
Xavi is under contract to Barça until 2014 after extending his contract during the 2008–09 season. The new contract will make him one of the club's biggest earners, and entitle him to €7.5 million a year.
2009–10 season
During the 2009–10 season, journalists increasingly noted Xavi's contribution to the Barcelona side. For example:In the 2009–10 season, Xavi again topped the assists table and provided both the assists in Barcelona's 2–0 victory against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. He was acclaimed the 2nd best player of Barcelona in a season-long voting as Barcelona won the league title with a record 99 points.
On 3 June 2010, the Madrid-based newspaper Marca
Marca
Marca may refer to:Places:* Marca, Sălaj, a commune in Sălaj County, Romania* an alternative name for Merca, Somalia* Marca District, in the province Recuay, PeruMarches:* Marca is the Latin term for border regions known as a Marks or Marches...
awarded Xavi third place in the annual Trofeo Alfredo di Stéfano
Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano
The Alfredo Di Stéfano Trophy is a trophy awarded by Spanish sports newspaper Marca to the best footballer of La Liga. The award is named after legendary player Alfredo Di Stéfano...
award for the best player in La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
, behind Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
and Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
.
2010–11 season
On 9 June 2010, Xavi signed a new 4 year contract with the club, which may be automatically renewed up to 30 June 2016 based on number of games played. On 29 November he scored his third goal against arch-rivals Real MadridReal Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in a 5–0 home win. On 18 December he scored another goal against RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
in a 1–5 win. In the Champions League, Xavi scored a valuable goal against English side Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
during a home match in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
that saw Barcelona passing through to the quarter-finals with an assist by teammate David Villa
David Villa
David Villa Sánchez , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a striker for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team. He can also operate as a winger....
.
He was one of the three finalists for the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or
2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or
The 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or was the inaugural year for FIFA's awards for the top football players and coaches of the year. The award merged FIFA's former World Player of the Year awards with the Ballon d'Or, previously presented by the French media to the top men's player in Europe. The awards...
, alongside Barcelona teammates Messi and Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
, he finished third on the vote behind Messi and Iniesta.
He narrowly defeated Lionel Messi to win World Soccer's Player of the year.
On 2 January 2011, in a league match against Levante UD
Levante UD
Levante Unión Deportiva, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, in the namesake community.Founded in 1909, it plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadi Ciutat de València.-Early years:...
, Xavi made his 549th appearance for the club in all competitions, matching the record held by Migueli
Migueli
Miguel Bernardo Bianquetti , aka Migueli, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a central defender....
. Following this match Xavi is the player with most appearances with Barcelona of all time.
2011-12 season
Xavi began the 2011-12 season in fine goal scoring form and seemed to grow in his influence of the team despite the long anticipated return of Cesc FàbregasCesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
and the promotion of Thiago Alcântara
Thiago Alcántara
Thiago Alcântara do Nascimento is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.-Early years:...
to create added competition for places in Barca's star-studded midfield. A tap-in against Real Sociedad was followed up by a delightful lob in the 8-0 mauling of Osasuna with further goals coming from a header in a win over Racing Santander and a wonderful 25-yrd free-kick versus Granada. Xavi scored his first UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
goal of the campaign when he netted the winner at the San Siro ensuring Barcelona finished top of the group with a 3-2 win over AC Milan .
International career
FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
, the FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
and the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. His successes on the European stage include winning the UEFA European Football Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
and the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
twice. Xavi is also a six time Liga BBVA Champion and played in the Barcelona side that won the famed unprecedented Spanish treble, which culminated in a record six trophies, the sextuple, in one calendar year. On 25 March 2011, Xavi earned his 100th cap for Spain in the 2:1 home win against the Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
in a Euro 2012 qualifier.
2010 World Cup
Xavi was named in Spain's squad for the 2010 World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, culminating in winning the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
title. The veteran midfielder finished with an 89 percent pass completion rate over the course of the tournament, completing 599 passes out of 669 passes attempted over all of Spain's seven games. Of those who reached the final
2010 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
or the third place match, Xavi led the field in passes attempted, passes completed, corners attempted (47), corners completed (26), and deliveries in the penalty area (15).
International appearances
- As of 7 October 2011
| National team | Season | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain Spain national football team The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque... |
2000–01 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001–02 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2002–03 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2003–04 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2005–06 | 13 | 1 | |
| 2006–07 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2007–08 | 16 | 4 | |
| 2008–09 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2009–10 | 17 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | 10 | 2 | |
| Total | 104 | 10 | |
International goals
|-| 1. || 26 March 2005 || Estadio El Helmántico
Estadio El Helmantico
Estadio El Helmántico is a football stadium in Salamanca, Spain where UD Salamanca plays home matches. The stadium holds 17,341 and was built in 1970. It is placed on the out-skirts of the city....
, Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
, Spain || || 2–0 || 3–0 || Friendly
|-
| 2. || 6 September 2006 || Windsor Park
Windsor Park
Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...
, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland || || 0–1 || 3–2 || UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
|-
| 3. || 11 October 2006 || Nueva Condomina
Estadio Nueva Condomina
Estadio Nueva Condomina is a multi-use stadium in Murcia, Spain. Completed in 2006, it is used mostly for football matches and hosts the homes matches of Real Murcia. The stadium has a capacity of 31,179 people. It replaces their previous stadium La Condomina.The stadium was officially opened on...
, Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
, Spain || || 1–0 || 2–1 || Friendly
|-
| 4. || 12 September 2007 || Estadio Carlos Tartiere
Estadio Carlos Tartiere
Estadio Municipal Carlos Tartiere, generally referred to as Nuevo Carlos Tartiere , is a multi-use stadium in Oviedo, Spain. It holds 30,500 spectators and replaced the former stadium of the same name, built in 1932....
, Oviedo
Oviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
, Spain || || 1–0 || 2–0 || UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
|-
| 5. || 21 November 2007 || Estadio Gran Canaria
Estadio Gran Canaria
Estadio Gran Canaria is a multi-purpose stadium in Las Palmas, Spain. It is currently used mostly for football matches by the UD Las Palmas team. The club had previously played at the Estadio Insular. The stadium holds 31,250 people...
, Las Palmas, Spain || || 1–0 || 1–0 || UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
|-
| 6. || 4 June 2008 || Estadio El Sardinero
Estadio El Sardinero
Campos de Sport de El Sardinero , is a multi-purpose stadium in Santander, Spain. It is currently used mostly for football matches, holding 22,400 people....
, Santander
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
, Spain || || 1–0 || 1–0 || Friendly
|-
| 7. || 26 June 2008 || Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria || || 0–1 || 0–3 || UEFA Euro 2008
|-
| 8. || 20 August 2008 || Parken Stadium
Parken Stadium
Parken Stadium is a football stadium in the Indre Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark, built from 1990–1992. It currently has a capacity of 38,065 for football games, and is the home ground of F.C. Københaven and the Danish national football team...
, Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark || || 0–2 || 0–3 || Friendly
|-
| 9. || 29 March 2011 || S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas
Kaunas
Kaunas is the second-largest city in Lithuania and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation...
, Lithuania || || 0–1 || 1–3 || UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
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| 10. || 6 September 2011 || Estadio Las Gaunas
Estadio Las Gaunas
Estadio Las Gaunas is a football stadium in Logroño, Spain. It has a capacity of 16,000.- External links :*...
, Logroño
Logroño
Logroño is a city in northern Spain, on the Ebro River. It is the capital of the autonomous community of La Rioja, formerly known as La Rioja Province.The population of Logroño in 2008 was 153,736 and a metropolitan population of nearly 197,000 inhabitants...
, Spain || || 0–3 || 0–6 || UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
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Style of play
Xavi’s stake to claim as one of the best midfielders of his generation relies largely on his ability to find and exploit space. As said by Xavi himself: “That’s what I do: look for spaces. All day. I’m always looking” . Xavi's abnormally good vision, pinpoint accurate passing and world class ball control allow him to dictate the flow of play whilst rarely relinquishing possession. His ability to completely control some matches has earned him the sobriquet, “The Puppet Master” .Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barcelona B FC Barcelona B Futbol Club Barcelona B is a Spanish football team. They are the reserve team of FC Barcelona. Reserve teams in the Spanish football league system play in the same football pyramid as their senior team rather than a separate league. However reserve teams cannot play in the same division as their... |
1997–98 | 39 | 3 | – | – | – | 39 | 3 | |||
| 1998–99 | 18 | 0 | – | – | – | 18 | 0 | ||||
| 1999–00 | 4 | 1 | – | – | – | 4 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 61 | 4 | – | – | 61!!4 | ||||||
| Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
1998–99 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 2 |
| 1999–00 1999–2000 FC Barcelona season -Squad:... |
24 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 2 | |
| 2000–01 | 20 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 | – | 36 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 | 35 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | – | 52 | 4 | ||
| 2002–03 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 1 | – | 44 | 3 | ||
| 2003–04 | 36 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 1 | – | 49 | 5 | ||
| 2004–05 | 36 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | – | 45 | 3 | ||
| 2005–06 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | 35 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 54 | 6 | |
| 2007–08 | 35 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 1 | – | 54 | 9 | ||
| 2008–09 | 35 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 14 | |3 | – | 54 | 10 | ||
| 2009–10 | 34 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 53 | 7 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 FC Barcelona season The 2010–11 season is Futbol Club Barcelona's 117th in existence and the club's 79th consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football... |
31 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 5 | |
| 2011–12 2011–12 FC Barcelona season The 2011–12 season is Futbol Club Barcelona's 112th in existence and the club's 81st consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football. Barcelona will be debuting their new and first paid shirt sponsor Qatar Foundation after an agreement was reached in 2010 with the non-profit organization... |
13 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 5 | |
| Total | 396 | 42 | 51 | 7 | 134 | 11 | 17 | 3 | 598 | 63 | |
| Career totals | 457 | 46 | 51 | 7 | 134 | 11 | 17 | 3 | 659 | 67 | |
Club
- La LigaLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 6
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- 1998–99, 2004–052004–05 La Liga2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna...
, 2005–062005–06 La Liga* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Betis* Cádiz CF* Celta de Vigo* Deportivo Alaves* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Málaga CF* RCD Mallorca* CA Osasuna* Racing de Santander* Real Madrid* Real Sociedad* Sevilla FC...
, 2008–09, 2009–102009–10 La Liga- Personnel and sponsoring :- Before the start of the season :- During the season :-League table:||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|...
, 2010–112010–11 La LigaThe 2010–11 La Liga season was the 80th since its establishment. The campaign began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 21 May 2011. A total of 20 teams contested the league, 17 of which already contested in the 2009–10 season and three of which were promoted from the Segunda División...
- Copa del ReyCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 1
- Copa del Rey
- 2008–092009 Copa del Rey FinalThe 2009 Copa del Rey Final was the 105th final of the Spanish cup competition, the Copa del Rey. The final was played at Mestalla in Valencia on 13 May 2009. The match was won by FC Barcelona, who beat Athletic Bilbao 4 – 1...
- Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 5
- Supercopa de España
- 20052005 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2005 Supercopa de España was a two-leg Spanish football match played on 13 and 20 August 2005.It contested by league champions FC Barcelona and cup-winners Real Betis. FC Barcelona won 4–2 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-References:...
, 20062006 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2006 Supercopa de España was a two-leg Spanish football match played on 17 and 20 August 2006.It was contested by league champions FC Barcelona and cup-winners RCD Espanyol . FC Barcelona won 4–0 on aggregate.-First leg:...
, 20092009 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2009 Supercopa de España was two-legged Spanish football match-up played on 16 August and 23 August 2009. It was contested by Athletic Bilbao, the 2008–09 Copa del Rey runners-up, and FC Barcelona, the 2008–09 Primera División Winners....
, 20102010 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2010 Supercopa de España was a two-legged Spanish football match-up played on 14 August and 21 August 2010. It was contested by Sevilla, the 2009–10 Copa del Rey winners, and Barcelona, the 2009–10 Primera División winners....
, 20112011 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2011 Supercopa de España was a two-legged Spanish football match-up that was played on 14 and 17 August 2011. It was contested by Real Madrid, the 2010–11 Copa del Rey winners, and Barcelona, the 2010–11 La Liga winners....
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 3
- UEFA Champions League
- 2005–20062006 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2006 UEFA Champions League Final was the final match of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League, Europe's primary club football competition. The showpiece event was contested between Barcelona of Spain and Arsenal of England at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, France, on Wednesday, 17...
, 2008–092009 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2009 UEFA Champions League Final was played on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The match determined the winners of the 2008–09 season of the UEFA Champions League, a tournament for the top football clubs in Europe. The match was won by Barcelona of Spain, who beat England's...
, 2010–112011 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2011 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match played on 28 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London that decided the winner of the 2010–11 season of the UEFA Champions League. The winners received the European Champion Clubs' Cup...
- UEFA Super Cup: 2
- 20092009 UEFA Super CupThe 2009 UEFA Super Cup was the 34th UEFA Super Cup, an annual football match between the winners of the previous season's UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup competitions...
, 20112011 UEFA Super Cup-External links:*, UEFA.com...
- FIFA Club World CupFIFA Club World CupThe FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
: 1
- FIFA Club World Cup
- 20092009 FIFA Club World Cup-Play-off for Quarter-finals:-Quarter-finals:-----Semi-finals:-----Match for fifth place:-Match for third place:-Final:-Scorers:4 goals Denilson...
- 1998–99, 2004–05
National team
- FIFA World Youth Championship: 1
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- 19991999 FIFA World Youth ChampionshipThe 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Nigeria between April 3 and April 24, 1999. The 1999 championship was the 12th contested.- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.-Squads:...
- UEFA European Football Championship: 1
- 20082008 UEFA European Football ChampionshipThe 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by European nations. It took place in Austria and Switzerland from 7 to 29 June 2008...
- FIFA World Cup: 1
- 20102010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
- 1999
Individual
- FIFA Ballon d'Or Third placeFIFA Ballon d'OrThe FIFA Ballon d'Or is an association football award given annually to the player who is considered to have performed the best in the previous season...
: 20102010 FIFA Ballon d'OrThe 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or was the inaugural year for FIFA's awards for the top football players and coaches of the year. The award merged FIFA's former World Player of the Year awards with the Ballon d'Or, previously presented by the French media to the top men's player in Europe. The awards... - Ballon d'Or Third place : 2009Ballon d'Or 2009The 2009 Ballon d'Or, given to the best football player in the world as judged by an international panel of sports journalists, was awarded to Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona on 1 December 2009....
- FIFA World Player of the Year Third placeFIFA World Player of the YearThe FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
: 20092009 FIFA World Player of the YearThe 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year awards took place on 21 December 2009 at the Kongresshaus Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. Shortlists of 23 men and 10 women were announced on 30 October 2009. The final five contenders for this year’s FIFA World Player of the Year and FIFA Women’s World Player of... - UEFA Best Player in Europe Award Second placeUEFA Best Player in Europe AwardThe UEFA Best Player in Europe Award is an association football award given to the footballer playing for a football club in Europe that is considered the best in the previous season...
: 2011UEFA Best Player in Europe AwardThe UEFA Best Player in Europe Award is an association football award given to the footballer playing for a football club in Europe that is considered the best in the previous season... - World Soccer Player of the Year (1): 2010
- FIFA Team of the YearFIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
(3): 2008FIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, 2009FIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
, 2010 - FIFPro World XIFIFProThe Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnels , usually known by the abbreviation FIFPro, is a worldwide representative organization for professional football players. At the moment there are 43 national players associations who are members of FIFPro...
(3): 2008, 2009, 2010 - La Liga Breakthrough Player of the YearDon Balón AwardFrom 1976 until 2010, the Spanish magazine Don Balón confered the Don Balón Award to the best Spanish player, the best foreign player, the best referee, and the breakthrough player in La Liga...
(1): 1999Don Balón AwardFrom 1976 until 2010, the Spanish magazine Don Balón confered the Don Balón Award to the best Spanish player, the best foreign player, the best referee, and the breakthrough player in La Liga... - La Liga Spanish Player of the YearDon Balón AwardFrom 1976 until 2010, the Spanish magazine Don Balón confered the Don Balón Award to the best Spanish player, the best foreign player, the best referee, and the breakthrough player in La Liga...
(1): 2005Don Balón AwardFrom 1976 until 2010, the Spanish magazine Don Balón confered the Don Balón Award to the best Spanish player, the best foreign player, the best referee, and the breakthrough player in La Liga... - UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match2009 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2009 UEFA Champions League Final was played on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The match determined the winners of the 2008–09 season of the UEFA Champions League, a tournament for the top football clubs in Europe. The match was won by Barcelona of Spain, who beat England's...
(1): 20092009 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2009 UEFA Champions League Final was played on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The match determined the winners of the 2008–09 season of the UEFA Champions League, a tournament for the top football clubs in Europe. The match was won by Barcelona of Spain, who beat England's... - UEFA Euro Player of the TournamentUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
(1): 2008 - UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament (1): 2008
- World's Best Playmaker (3): 2008, 2009, 2010
- UEFA Team of the YearUEFA Team of the YearThe UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its . This award started in 2001 to allow users and visitors of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their overall performances in European club football and international...
(3): 2008, 2009, 2010 - UEFA Champions League Midfielder of the YearUEFA Club Football AwardsThe UEFA Club Football Awards are awards given by UEFA to the most outstanding performers of the European club football season. The awards were presented in August each year at a special gala in Monaco ahead of the UEFA Super Cup. Since 2005, the awards are presented at the UEFA Champions League draw...
(1): 2008–09 - ESM Team of the Year (1): 2008–09, 2010–11
- La Liga Midfielder of the YearLFP AwardsThe Professional Football League, established in the 2008/2009 season the LFP Awards, the first official awards in the history of the competition....
(1): 2009 - FIFA Club World Cup Bronze BallFIFA Club World CupThe FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000...
(1): 2009 - Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano Second placeTrofeo Alfredo Di StéfanoThe Alfredo Di Stéfano Trophy is a trophy awarded by Spanish sports newspaper Marca to the best footballer of La Liga. The award is named after legendary player Alfredo Di Stéfano...
: 2010Trofeo Alfredo Di StéfanoThe Alfredo Di Stéfano Trophy is a trophy awarded by Spanish sports newspaper Marca to the best footballer of La Liga. The award is named after legendary player Alfredo Di Stéfano... - FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (1): 20102010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
- Prince of Asturias AwardsPrince of Asturias AwardsThe Prince of Asturias Awards are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Prince of Asturias Foundation to individuals, entities or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs....
(1): 2010 - Premi Catalunya de l’Esport (1): 2010