Facts about Andres Iniesta

Unlike many professional footballers who join the club through transfermarkets, Iniesta soared to the starting lineup of the elite squad through La Masia, the youth academy for

.

After his debut in the 2004-2005 seasons, Iniesta remained in the club until his departure to Japan. In fact, he began his career in football as a young boy who was only 8 years old.

Between 1994 and 1996, Iniesta played for Albacete football club, marking the beginning of his great football career.

Iniesta has earned numerous awards and trophies both individually, and with the teams he has represented. He was an integral part of the Barcelona elite team which emerged with two historic trebles in the years 2009 and 2015. In general, Iniesta has seen the club win 34 trophies.

Other than the club football, he has also represented the national team at different competitions, including the Under-16 youth, Under-19, and Under-21 levels, and eventually incorporated to the Spain national team in 2006 and played his first major international match in Euro 2008.

The followings are some interesting facts about Andres Iniesta:

Many people remember Iniesta for his tactical play and man of the match titles he earned during his career at Barcelona. However, there are many

facts about Iniesta

that his fans and the football community are not aware of.

Andres Iniesta biography

Andrés Iniesta, born May 11, 1984 in Fuentealbilla, Spain, is a football player who helped his country win the Euro title in 2008 and 2012 and the 2010 World Cup. It was the first time a national squad had captured three consecutive major world championships.

At the

age

of 8, his father enrolled him at the ‘Albacete’ youth academy, where the little boy’s performance astonished everyone. Two years later, while playing in a tournament, he caught the attention of big Spanish clubs for the first time.

His father’s connections with the management of ‘FC Barcelona’ had Andres being sent for a trial, in which he succeeded to get their admiration.

The first

fact about Andrés Iniesta

is that he was a shy boy and moving to Barcelona and being away from home was not easy for him. He initially requested his

parents

to not let him go away, but his father convinced him to leave home.

The La Masia academy for young footballers worked under the Barcelona youth program, where Andrés was turned into a superstar.

Andrés was not even a teenager when he joined the academy, and was recognized as the youngest player, which had the management raising questions. However, his father’s intervention cleared the air and Andrés soon started training with them.

Gradually, he turned into the best player in the academy and became the captain of their ‘Under-15’ squad. Under his captaincy, the team won the ‘Nike Premier Cup’ in 1999, and he was also named the ‘Player of the Tournament.’

Iniesta’s professional career

Another interesting fact about Andrés Iniesta is that he made 674 appearances and scored 57 goals for Barcelona Since joining the elite team, Iniesta has been one of the most consistent players on the pitch.

He started as a defensive midfielder. Due to his skills and ability of perfect balance, excellent ball control, and play agility; he changed his position to an attacking midfielder.

Besides the raw talent that saw him get identified by senior club scouts, it is Iniesta's work ethic and versatility that saw him stay in the team.

Due to his calm and bold play, he managed to appear 674 times in for the Catalans averaging to about 40 match appearances per season.

Iniesta scored 57 goals, most of which were highly unanticipated and culminated in being the game changers for the entire club.

Iniesta provided 140 assists for Barcelona in 674 appearances. Most payers are famous for the number of goals they score at the end of every competition. It is not the case for the phenomenal Iniesta.

He is best known for the superb assists he provides for the world's top finishers including

while in Barcelona and the likes of Diego Costa in the international front.

He was a critical player in the 2-0 win over

in the 2008-09 champions league final due to his midfield artistry and ball-handling skills.

After the game, Wayne Rooney the then EPL best player couldn't hesitate but name Iniesta as the best player in the world.

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An incredible

fact about Andrés Iniesta

is that he could have won the Ballon d'Or. he was named the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year after receiving a massive 134 votes and came near fourth in the Ballon d'Or award, after securing 149 points.

Football analysis and other world-class players have cited his clinical passes and assists. He is the biggest threat to any opponent, earning him a €200 million exit clause from the Catalans.

Appeared 145 times in the international competitions at Barcelona Since his 2002 debut in Barcelona, Iniesta has appeared an additional 145 times in the international competitions including 130 times in the UEFA Champions League.

Iniesta was identified by Sir Alex Ferguson as the biggest threat to the then Champions League defending champions, Manchester United. According to Ferguson, Iniesta was a fantastic player in his ability to find passes, create space for other players, and make movements.

Iniesta was a world superstar when it comes to Champions League action. Other than his agility, he was identified behind the success of Barcelona during his time as a captain.

His hard work is evidenced by the number of plaudits he received in the tournament every year and the 4-Champions League trophies earned for the team. Iniesta won a historic double treble with Barcelona in 2009 and 2015. Iniesta came through Barcelona's youngster academy to be one of the best and most priced players in the elite team.

At the end of his career, Iniesta was the most decorated Spanish player of all time given his awards, performances, and the honors he received on different fronts.

In 2009, he steered Barcelona to win

, Copa Del Rey, and UEFA Champions League. In 2015, the club made a repeat of 2009 race to win La Liga, Copa Del Rey, and UEFA Champions League.

During the 2015-2016 El Classico match held at the home turf of their arch-rivals, it was all applause and celebration by the home team fans. It was after Iniesta entertained them to the best football of the season.

The star joined the other two Barcelona players namely Ronaldinho in 2005 and Diego Maradona in 1983 as players who ever received a standing ovation from the rival club.

His man of the match performance was exhibited by an assist and a goal that saw the visitors walk away with all three points following a resounding 4-0 win.

No one can dispute Iniesta's record of play and the greatness on the pitch. It made him one of the few midfielders who have earned a reputation at the best player table.

Following the success of that season, he had no choice but yielded to the pressure from fans and signed a lifetime deal with the club. It would see him end his career at the club in a time of his choosing.

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Iniesta's awards

Iniesta won 39 trophies in his professional football career. He is one of the players with the most trophies in European football. He has featured and won in numerous Champions League finals, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, Copa Del Rey, Supercopa de España, and La Liga.

In total, Iniesta has won in all of these competitions multiple times as well as winning a title every year since he joined the Barcelona elite squad.

As Spain's most decorated player of all time, he has also won in numerous competitions from the 2010 FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship (2008 and 2012), UEFA European Under-19 Championship (2002), and UEFA European Under-17 Championship (2001).

The trophies he have won in conjunction with his teammates is a testimony of the contributions he has made in the world of football. 7. Iniesta won the Spanish footballer of the year title in 2009.

From 1976 to 2010, Don Balón, a Spanish sports magazine conferred the Don Balón Award to the best players from Spain, best foreign player, best referee, and breakthrough player of the year. In the 2009 category, it was in Iniesta's turn to receive the award after a great season for the Catalans.

Iniesta appeared a total of 26 times in the la Liga competitions and scored four goals. In the same year, Barcelona was crowned the league champions, won the Copa Del Rey cup and later bagged the UEFA Champions League trophy.

The award was commensurate with Iniesta's exceptional and creative ball passing, and great intuition. From a football perspective, combining these aspects provided the Catalans with an excellent midfield control, and eventually, control of the play that made winning a must have.

Iniesta is the majority shareholder of Albacete football club in the 2011 season, Andres invested €420,000 in Albacete, his boyhood club, in a bid to upgrade the performance and operations of the football club.

Given the attachment the star has for the home-based club, it is justifiable why he has such a huge amount to aid the club. In 2013 when the club was in the verge of being relegated to the fourth tier of the league, Iniesta gave €240,000 towards covering the club's pending bills and unpaid wages for the season running.

Given the dynamics surrounding the football landscape in Spain, Albacete could be on the rise to higher ranks, especially with the input of a world class player in the calibre of Iniesta. 9. Iniesta is married to Anna Ortiz a professional make-up personnel.

Iniesta wife

Iniesta who has been playing for J1 League club Vissel Kobe in Japan since 2018, said that he was in a pub with a friend and found he could not take his eyes off the waitress.

This dark-haired girl, Anna Ortiz, married the football star in 2012, and Iniesta admitted that it was love at first sight.

"I saw her and I fell in love at that moment," the ex-Barcelona player recalled. Anna and Iniesta met in 2008 and began dating until July 8, 2012, when they eventually got married.

At the time of their meeting, Iniesta was nursing a tight injury, and Anna was there to offer him all the support he needed towards recovery.

They have three

children

; two daughters Valerie and Sienna born in April 2011 and May 2017, respectively and son polo Andrea born in 2015.

Iniesta's wedding was glamorous and saw the attendance of top footballers like his teammates Messi, Pique, and, Jordi Alba.

In 2014, Iniesta wife suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage due to pregnancy complications, leading to the loss of their unborn son, Andres junior.

Iniesta’s career after retirement

A quite noticeable fact about Iniesta is that he owns a winery and vineyard. He may have played his last world cup and the final game for the national side, but his new venture is gaining momentum. At the current Andres Iniesta age of 36 years, he is the owner of Minuto 116.

It is named after the sensational goal he scored for his country in the 2010 world cup to win his country the first and only world cup title.

The choice of name, according to the company director Mr Lazaro, is strategic in giving the brand a market edge, especially in countries where football is a popular source of entertainment.

According to reports, the winery produced 1.2 million wine bottles in 2017, recording a 500% leap from the amount produced at the same time in 2010. But while the only source of market for the product in 2010 was Spain, most of the revenue generated currently are from abroad markets.

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Andres Iniesta stats

Here are Andres

Iniesta stats

in football club and Spain: Football club 2001 – 2003: Played for FC Barcelona B, made 54 appearances and scored five goals in total. 2002 – 2018: Played for Barcelona FC, with 674 appearances and scored 57 goals with a whopping 140 assists. 2018 – present: Vissel Kobe FC, made 24 appearances so far, and score three goals.

Spain national team: 2006 – 2018: Played for Spain, appeared 131 times and scored 13 goals including the world-cup winner in the 116th minute.

The following are some of Iniesta’s honors for Barcelona:

La Liga Champions: 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2008–2009, 2009–2010, 2010–2011, 2012–2013, 2014–2015, 2015–2016, 2017–2018

Copa del Rey Cup: 2008–2009, 2011–2012, 2014–2015, 2015–2016, 2016–2017, 2017–2018

Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016

UEFA Champions League trophy: 2005–2006, 2008–2009, 2010–2011, 2014–2015

UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015

FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015

Quick facts about Iniesta

Iniesta was born Andres Iniesta Lujan on May 11, 1984, in Fuentealbilla, Spain, to Jose Antonio Iniesta, a business man and Maria Lujan Iniesta. He has a sister Maria Lujan.

He started his football with the local club Albacete Balompie, at the age of 10 and gained attraction from football clubs around Spain with his performance at a seven-a-side tournament when he was 12 years.

He was signed up by Barcelona FC in their youth team in 1996, much against his wishes. In 1999, he won the Nike Premier Cup scoring last minute goal in the finals while captaining the club’s under-15 team and was named player of the tournament.

From the 2004-05, season onwards he became a regular feature as a center midfielder. He led Barcelona to the Joan Gamper Trophy in 2006 and with growing credential as one of the most consistent performer he was placed fourth in the 2007 FIFA voting of best players.

Following his family tradition he invested his time and money into wine production. His business venture named the Bodega Iniesta, producing wine from special fruits frown in his 180 hectares of vineyards.

On November 27, 2009, his contract was extended until June 30, 2015, for around € 200 million with a buyout clause. He had an outstanding Champions Trophy outing that year helping Barcelona to the title that year.

He is a versatile player with excellent ball control supported with his agility and skill on the ball is described as ‘the complete footballer.’ Though he is attacking midfielder he has been used as false winger, central midfielder, deep midfielder and some time as withdrawn striker.

At the start of 2009-10, season he was troubled by recurring thigh injury and the season came to premature end in April when his injury was diagnosed with a total rupture of the right femoral biceps muscle.

Iniesta is known by many nicknames but Don Andres is the favorite of Spanish Press. Some call him El Ilusionista, for his all position play and others call him El Cerebro, the brain for his footballing intelligence. He is also called El Anti-Galactico and the Pale Knight.

He is into sponsorship deal with sports equipment supplier Nike and also features in EA Sports FIFA video game series.

Just before the 2010 World Cup, Iniesta stopped feeling like a footballer and had to seek professional help. He was not under depression nor illness, but an unease which terrified him. The death of his friend Jarque, captain of Espanyol also had greatly affected him.

He was part of Spanish Under-16 team which won the ‘UEFA European Under-16 Championship and went on to represent the Under-17 in 2001.

In 2011, he invested € 420,000 in his boyhood club, Albacete and in the process became its major shareholder.

In the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, he scored the opening goal of the tournament for Spain against Czech Republic. Spain went on to win the title and qualified for the youth championship. He was the top scorer for Spain at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship where they finished runner-up.

Aged 22, he was included in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Spanish squad much to the surprise of many but earned his first cap on May 27 in a friendly against Russia.

No doubt that Andrés Iniesta could have won the Ballon d’Or on a number of occasions. However, it is one man, his teammate Lionel Messi who has always won it whenever he has come close to the crown. Iniesta ranked 5th, 4th and 3rd in 2009, 2015 and 2016, each of the times the title being won by Messi.

About Andrés Iniesta & FC Barcelona

Such is his influence on the club, FC Barcelona decided to award him with a lifetime contract in 2017, shortly before he went to Japan, to keep him in Camp Nou for the remainder of his career. This is all we have about Andrés Iniesta.

He shares his personal life with his huge fans through Instagram. The avid user of

social media

especially, Instagram, found to his surprise that his account was suspended with Instagram claiming that he had violated the company’s term of service with those family, food and architecture photos.

He scored his first international goal for Spain on February 07, 2007, in a friendly against England and played a major part along with David Villa and Xavi, in Spain qualifying for the 2008 Euro.

Despite suffering from stomach ailment, he played a pivotal role for Spain winning the 2008 Euro Championship. He was named in the Team of the Tournament.

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Iniesta’s 116th minute goal sealed the fate of Netherland as Spain went on to win its first World Cup with a 1-0 score line. He won the man of the match in the finals.

Iniesta was part of Spanish World Cup winning team which was felicitated and awarded with Prince of Asturias Award for Sports in July 2010. They were also awarded Royal Order of Sports Merit, in October 2011.

He married Anna Oritz on July 08, 2012 and they have three children, two daughters, Valeria and Siena and a son Andrea.

As part of golden era of Spain, he was at his best when he was awarded the man of the match in three different matches including the finals of 2012 Euro when Spain defeated Italy 4-0. He was named as Euro Player of the Tournaments.

Iniesta won the Silver Ball, as second best player in the 2013 FIFA Confederation Cup and also featured in the Team of the Tournament.

At the start of 2014-15 season, Iniesta became the captain and capped it with 2015 UEFA Champions Trophy title and was named man of the match in the final.

His performance in the 2015-16, season against Real Madrid on November 21, received applause even from rival fans at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the third Barcelona player after Maradona and Ronaldinho with the honors. He was the man of the match in 4-0 win in the finals.

He was ranked ninth in March 2015, of having highest social media rank in the world among sportsperson, with 24 million Facebook fans.

In 2015, he was recipient of ‘Queen Sofia Award for his exemplary sporting behavior as part of National Sports Award. He received the award at a ceremony in Madrid on January 2017.

Since the beginning of October 29, 2002, he has been loyal to Barcelona for the last 16 season scoring 56 goals in 647 appearances apart from turning out for their ‘B’ team in three seasons. He has also recorded 13 goals in 123 matches for Spanish national team.

Iniesta, who has come close to winning the Ballon d’Or on three occasions, has made it to FIFA’s FIFPro World XI, for the ninth year running when he was named in the 2017 team.

On Friday the October 06, 2017, Iniesta signed lifetime contract with his club Barcelona, which will keep the midfielder in Blaugrana for the remainder of his career.

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Andrés Iniesta is one of the very few players, matched by Lionel Messi, who have won the double treble in their career. He won the Copa del Rey, La Liga and UEFA Champions League all in one season twice, once with Pep Guardiola in 2009 and again with Luis Enrique in 2015.

Andrés Iniesta wrote his name in footballing history, breaking the barriers of a massive rivalry when he became only the third player after Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho to get a standing ovation at the Santiago Bernabeu, home of Real Madrid. This happened in the 2015-16 season. Isn’t it interesting about Andrés Iniesta?

Owning a football club is the dream of many. Only few have managed to achieve it, David Beckham being the latest of the star names. Iniesta however, owns a major stake in his boyhood club Albacete where he invests to contribute to the growth of young Spanish footballers.

A self-confessed lover of the soft liquor, Andrés Iniesta owns a winery and a vineyard as well. The company is called Minuto 116, acknowledging his World Cup winning goal in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Spain’s only World Cup triumph till date. Bizarre about Andrés Iniesta?

Today a legend of the club, Andrés Iniesta didn’t want to join the Catalans initially and refused to move from his parent club Albacete. FC Barcelona scouts identified the talent that Iniesta possessed and convinced his family that moving to Catalunya was the best choice for him.

Andrés Iniesta effected Spanish football in a way like never before. Fans and rivals took to him like a fly to light and Iniesta ended up getting called a number of nicknames before he left Spain. The best and most popular was Don Iniesta but he’s also called El Cerebro, El Anti-Galactico and Pale Knight. Lovely about Andrés Iniesta?

While the World accolades Iniesta for his amazing display in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, leading Spain all the way to the title, Iniesta was disturbed by the death of his friend Dani Jarque, a key figure in his personal life, one whom he deeply loved.

Among interesting

facts about Andres Iniesta

is that he is an avid social media lover. It can be easily depicted by his photos and videos on the platform throughout the day. However, his Instagram account was suspended initially as he had violated the company’s terms of use with pictures of food and family.

Iniesta’s net worth and salary

Iniesta

net worth

after spending a better season of his teenage and youth life on the pitch is quite interesting. Iniesta has bagged numerous trophies to his name. But how much is the Spanish worth? According to reports related to the players’ net worth, Iniesta is worth $90 million and commands an annual

salary

of $13 million.

Most of the contributors to his net worth are awards he had bagged and sponsorships from brands such as Nike. He also runs a side business, Minuto 116, which specializes in making wines for both local and international markets. His current net worth is estimated to be around $120

<span style="font-family:times new roman,serif">

million.

Andres Iniesta’s biography at a glance:

• Full Name:

  Andrés Iniesta Luján

• Nicknames:

  Don Andrés, El Caballero Pálido, El Cerebro, El Anti-Galáctico

• Date of Birth:

  11 May 1984 (age 36 years)

• Place of Birth:

  Fuentealbilla, Spain

• Nationality:

  Spanish

• Height:

  5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)

• Weight:

  68 kg

• Father:

  José Antonio Iniesta

• Mother:

  María Luján

• Siblings:

  Maribel Iniesta (sister)

• Wife:

  Anna Ortiz (married 2012)

• Children:

  Valeria Iniesta Ortiz (Daughter), Paolo Andrea Iniesta Ortiz (Son), Siena Iniesta Ortiz (Daughter)

• Occupation:

  Footballer

• Playing Position:

  Central midfielder

• Strong Foot:

  Right/Left

• Current Club:

  Vissel Kobe

• Jersey Number:

  8

• Net Worth:

  $120 million

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