Sergio Busquets was a maestro in midfield, the one who recovered the ball, began assaults and delivered that key cross for famous person teammates like Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta to flip into objectives in Barcelona’s heyday.
The 37-year-old Spanish world champion will quickly finish his vastly profitable profession, retiring from soccer on the finish of his present season with Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer group mentioned on Thursday (September 26, 2025).
Busquets is broadly thought to be top-of-the-line defensive midfielders of his technology, forming a storied three-man midfield at Barcelona with Iniesta and Xavi Hernández behind Messi.
File image of Lionel Messi celebrating after his aim in opposition to Atlante FC with Xavi and Sergio Busquets in 2009
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AP
Busquets debuted for Barcelona in 2008 underneath Pep Guardiola and went on to play 722 matches for the membership — placing him third all-time behind Xavi and Messi – whereas profitable 9 Spanish league titles and the Champions League 3 times.
He wasn’t quick or ripped with muscle mass. He hardly ever scored. But his lanky body belied a tenacious tackler and an knowledgeable passer, making him the best anchorman for one of the best groups each Barcelona and Spain have ever had.
Barcelona known as him “a cornerstone of the finest Barça side of all time.”
He performed 143 video games for Spain, profitable the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2012. He was Spain’s captain for a few years till retiring from worldwide competitors in 2022.
In 2023, Busquets joined Inter Miami the place he was reunited with Messi and different former Barcelona teammates Luis Suárez and Jordi Alba. The group mentioned Busquets has had an “extraordinary career” and is “one of the greatest midfielders in football history.”
File image of Cristiano Ronaldo attempting to get the ball from Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta throughout the 2010 World Cup spherical of 16 match between Spain and Portugal
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AP
Former teammates — and rivals — praised him on social media.
“What a privilege it was to play with you all those years, brother,” Iniesta wrote on Instagram. “Your way of playing was one of a kind, and we will never forget it.”
Former Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, Busquets’s membership rival and his teammate with Spain, recalled their time shared on the sphere in addition to Busquets’ “modest and genuine character.”
“(You were) a rival most of the time, other times my teammate, (but) you always stood out thanks to your class, vision, and talent,” Ramos wrote on X.
