Xavier "Xavi" Hernández Creus (Catalan: [ˈ(t)ʃaβi ərˈnandəz ˈkɾɛws] Speaking spanish: [ˈtʃaβj erˈnandeθ ˈkɾeus]; born 25 January 1980) can be a Spanish professional footballer who plays being a central midfielder for Qatari golf club Al Sadd SC. Xavi emerged through La Masia, the particular Barcelona youth academy, at the age of 11 and made his / her first-team debut against Mallorca inside August 1998. Since then he has played 700 complements, scored 82 goals and made greater than 180 assists for above 50 players. Xavi could be the first player in Barcelona's historical past to play 150 global matches. [3] Highly deemed for his humble personality and team ethos, Xavi can be regarded as being the embodiment with the tiki-taka passing style regarding play, and is considered to be one of the best central midfielders of all time. [4][5][6][7] He is furthermore considered by many inside the game to be the maximum Spanish player ever.
Xavi earned the U-20 World Pot for Spain in 1999, as well as the Olympic Silver Medal on the 2000 Olympics. Since creating his senior team debut inside 2000, he has been capped 133 times for your Spanish national team, and contains been seen as an influential figure inside the team's tremendous success. He played an important role in Spain's victory on the 2010 World Cup, along with their successes at equally Euro 2008 and Pound 2012. He had a 91% passing success rate on the 2010 World Cup and was named on earth Cup All-star Team. [6] He was named Player with the Tournament by UEFA with Euro 2008. [10] He was also named inside the UEFA Euro Team with the Tournament in 2008 along with 2012. After the 2014 Planet Cup, Xavi announced his / her retirement from international sports. [11]
Xavi won twenty eight trophies, only surpassed by Andrés Iniesta because the most successful Spanish player ever sold. [12][13] He came third inside the 2009 FIFA World Player with the Year, followed by third place for the successor award, the FIFA Ballon d'Or, this season and 2011. In 2011, he was runner around Lionel Messi for the particular UEFA Best Player inside Europe Award. He continues to be awarded the IFFHS Earth's Best Playmaker award regarding four years: 2008, last year, 2010, 2011. Xavi has been within the UEFA Team of the season for five years (2008, last year, 2010, 2011, 2012), and contains been voted into the particular FIFA World XI about six occasions: 2008, last year, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. With Euro 2012, with his two assists inside the Final, Xavi became the initial player to register facilitates in two separate Pound finals, having set the lone goal in the last four years earlier. [14] This individual was awarded the Royal prince of Asturias Award regarding Sports in 2012.
