Xavi was the conductor of one of the greatest teams in football history, a midfield metronome whose relentless, precise passing defined the tiki-taka style that swept all before it. A product of Barcelona’s academy, he spent his entire club career at the Camp Nou, orchestrating a side that dominated Spain and Europe.
Small and unflashy, he saw passing angles others could not and never seemed to lose the ball, forming a peerless midfield partnership with Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets. He won everything at club level, including multiple Champions League titles.
With Spain he was central to the triumphs at the 2010 World Cup and the European Championships of 2008 and 2012, before later returning to Barcelona as manager.