Xavi Hernández: Fútbol Legend

By Josue Ruiz

​Xavi Hernández is undoubtedly one of the most emblematic players in Spanish fútbol. He excelled with Barcelona and with the Spanish national team, where he won many important titles, both collective and individual. His legacy remains in the hearts of fans for being a great player and a good person.

Xavi Hernández Creus was born on January 25, 1980, in Tarrasa, Barcelona. His parents are Joaquín Hernández and Maria Merce Creus. He is the brother of Ariadna, Oscar and Alex Hernández. Xavi studied at the Escuela Práctica de Tarrasa.

Xavi Hernández began his career at age four, playing at U.F.B. Jabac and later becoming part of a soccer school called Terrassa FC, of ​​which his father also took part as coordinator. At the same time, FC Barcelona had noticed him, but his father was not happy that he played in the lower categories of Barcelona due to his young age.

It wasn’t until 1991 that Xavi signed a contract with Barcelona. In his early days, he did not play in midfield, he played in front. However, due to his height, he stopped playing that position. After showing signs of being a good player, he was promoted through different categories, becoming team captain B. Thanks to his performance with Barcelona B, when he qualified for the second division, he managed to get the first team coach to give him the opportunity to play with the first team. His debut was in the Supercopa match of Spain against Mallorca on 18 August 1998. This same season, Xavi got his first league title with Barcelona.

It should be noted that in 2009, Xavi got the so-called sextet with FC Barcelona: La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League, European Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and the Club World Cup,  all in one season. 

In the 2014/15 season, which was Xavi’s last in Barcelona, ​​he acquired his last titles with the team by winning the Spanish league, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. It was an emotional day, as the fans and players made a memorable farewell.

On the Spanish national team, Xavi participated in the lower categories of the team, winning in 1999 in the U-20 World Cup. With the senior team, he debuted against the Netherlands on 15 November 2000. With Spain, he stood out for conquering the 2008 European Championship, the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and the European Championship in 2012. Xavi retired from the national team in 2014 after competing in the 2014 World Cup of Brazil.

Among the records that Xavi has to his credit, his record for most games with FC Barcelona ​​and the title of the player with the most matches in the League of Spain stand out most. He is also the player who scored goal number 1000 for the Spanish team. Xavi Hernández has 34 titles in total, and his individual awards include the Best Player in the League, the Best Player in the European Championship, the Bronze Ball of the Club World Cup, and the prize for Best Spanish Athlete of the Year.

Xavi decided to retire from fútbol after having played in Qatar's Al-Sadd club. Xavi Hernández is married to Nuria Cunillera, with whom he has two children, Asia Hernandez Cunillera and Dan Hernandez Cunillera.

Xavi Hernández is and will continue to be one of the greatest legends of fùtbol in Spain and the world, as he was one of the reasons Spain become a powerhouse in the world of fútbol. His legacy in FC Barcelona will persist forever because his way of playing revolutionized the club and inspired players at the national and international level.