Andrés Iniesta

Andrés Iniesta is the retired Spanish midfielder widely regarded as one of the greatest of his generation, the man who scored Spain's winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final. Since hanging up his boots he has turned to coaching, taking charge of Emirati club Gulf United in 2026, and co-founded the NSN cycling team that lined up at the 2026 Tour de France.

By Alexandre Le Hégarat · datastats · Updated July 13, 2026

Who is Andrés Iniesta?

Andrés Iniesta is a retired Spanish footballer regarded as one of the finest midfielders the game has produced. Small, unassuming and endlessly composed, he built a career on control in tight spaces, precise passing and an uncanny sense of the decisive moment. Born on 11 May 1984 in the small town of Fuentealbilla in Albacete, he joined FC Barcelona’s La Masia academy as a boy and became the beating heart of the club’s greatest era.

At Barcelona, from 2002 to 2018, Iniesta won just about everything, including 9 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League crowns, forming a midfield with Xavi and later Sergio Busquets that defined an age of tiki-taka football. He is the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time. For the national team he was equally central, and his defining moment came in the 2010 World Cup final, when he scored the only goal against the Netherlands in the 116th minute to make Spain world champions for the first time.

After leaving Barcelona in 2018, Iniesta continued playing in Japan with Vissel Kobe and then briefly in the United Arab Emirates with Emirates Club, before retiring from professional football in October 2024. He is now moving into coaching: in 2026 he took charge of Emirati side Gulf United, his first head-coaching role, as he learns the trade from the dugout.

Iniesta’s interests now stretch beyond football. He co-founded the NSN cycling team, launched in Barcelona in late 2025, which lined up at the 2026 Tour de France, and he runs businesses including a winery in his home town. At 42, the quiet genius of Spain’s golden generation is building a varied second act, part coach, part sports entrepreneur, while his place among the greats of the game remains secure. Sources: Wikipedia, FIFA, UEFA, Yahoo Sports.

People also ask

As of 2026 Iniesta is based in the United Arab Emirates, where he works as a football coach with Gulf United. During his playing career he lived for many years in the Barcelona area, then in Kobe, Japan, while at Vissel Kobe, and later moved to the UAE. His exact private address is not public, and it would be inappropriate to specify it. Sources: Wikipedia, Yahoo Sports.

Andrés Iniesta is Spanish. He was born in Fuentealbilla, a small town in the province of Albacete, in the Castilla-La Mancha region of Spain, and he won 131 caps for the Spanish national team. Sources: Wikipedia, UEFA.

Iniesta was born on 11 May 1984, which makes him 42 years old in July 2026. He retired from professional football in October 2024 and has since moved into coaching. Sources: Wikipedia, Transfermarkt.

Andrés Iniesta stands approximately 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in). He was never a physically imposing player; his game was built on close control, balance and vision rather than size or pace. Sources: Transfermarkt.

Iniesta has moved into management. After retiring as a player in October 2024, he took his first head-coaching job in 2026 with Gulf United in the United Arab Emirates. Away from football, he co-founded the NSN cycling team, which competed at the 2026 Tour de France, and he runs business interests including a winery in his home town. Sources: Yahoo Sports, Wikipedia.

His most famous goal is the winner in the 2010 World Cup final. With the match against the Netherlands goalless deep into extra time, Iniesta struck in the 116th minute to give Spain their first and only World Cup title. It is one of the most iconic goals in the tournament's history. Sources: FIFA, Wikipedia.

Iniesta spent the vast majority of his career at FC Barcelona, where he came through the famed La Masia academy and played from 2002 to 2018, becoming the most decorated Spanish footballer of all time. He then played for Vissel Kobe in Japan and finally for Emirates Club in the UAE before retiring in 2024. Sources: Wikipedia, Transfermarkt.

Iniesta won an enormous haul at Barcelona, including 9 La Liga titles and 4 UEFA Champions League titles, among many other trophies. With Spain he won the 2010 World Cup and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012, the core of Spain's greatest-ever era. Sources: UEFA, Wikipedia.

Iniesta is a genuine cycling enthusiast and co-founded the NSN cycling team, launched in Barcelona in December 2025, which competed at the 2026 Tour de France. He has said cycling is even tougher than football, and his involvement is part investment, part passion project as he builds a post-playing career beyond the pitch. Sources: PezCycling News, Yahoo Sports.

Yes. Iniesta is very widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders in football history, celebrated for his dribbling in tight spaces, his passing and his decisive performances on the biggest stage. He was central to Spain's and Barcelona's dominance between 2008 and 2015. Sources: UEFA, FIFA.