Contents
Xavi
Dictating midfield for Barcelona and Spain through an era of World Cup, European Championship and Champions League victories.
European champion · World Cup
- Born
- 25 January 1980
- Birthplace
- Terrassa, Spain
More people
Xavi
Xavi is a Spanish former midfielder and football coach, known for controlling possession through precise passing and constant movement.
Early life
Football family
His father Joaquim played professionally for Sabadell.
La Masia
He entered Barcelona’s youth system at eleven.
Career
- 1998
First-team debut
He progressed from Barcelona’s academy to its senior midfield.
- 2008–2015
Barcelona’s conductor
He became central to two treble-winning teams.
- 2015–2019
Al Sadd
He finished his playing career in Qatar before moving into coaching.
- 2021–2024
Barcelona coach
He returned as manager and won the 2022–23 Spanish league.
Achievements
European champion
Spain won Euro 2008 and he was named player of the tournament.
World Cup
He helped Spain win its first men’s world title.
Fourth Champions League
His last Barcelona season ended with another European Cup.
Beyond football
Family
He married Núria Cunillera in 2013.
Early influences
Alongside Pep Guardiola, he admired English midfielders including John Barnes and Paul Gascoigne.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Official career history and recognition ↗Photo: Meysam Mehabadi. CC BY 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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