Global InformationXavi information
 Xavi managing Al Sadd in 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Xavier Hernández Creus[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 25 January 1980[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Terrassa, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Barcelona (manager) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1997 | Barcelona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Barcelona B | 55 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2015 | Barcelona | 505 | (58) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2019 | Al Sadd | 82 | (20) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 642 | (81) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997 | Spain U17 | 10 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Spain U18 | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2014 | Catalonia | 12 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Spain U20 | 6 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2001 | Spain U21 | 26 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Spain U23 | 6 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2014 | Spain | 133 | (13) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Al Sadd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Barcelona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Xavier Hernández Creus (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈʃaβjeɾ eɾˈnandeθ];[3] born 25 January 1980), also known as Xavi Hernández ([ˈʃaβj eɾˈnandeθ]) or simply Xavi ([ˈʃaβi]), is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who manages La Liga club Barcelona. Widely considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time,[4][5] Xavi was renowned for his passing, vision, ball retention, and positioning.[6][7][8][9] He won 32 trophies in his career, making him the second-most decorated Spanish player in history, behind former teammate Andrés Iniesta.[10][11][12]
He was included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI on six occasions: 2008 to 2013, and the UEFA Team of the Year five times: 2008 to 2012. In 2020 Xavi was named in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team, a greatest all-time XI published by France Football.[13] He is one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,000 professional career appearances.
Xavi joined La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy at age 11 and made his first-team debut against Mallorca in August 1998, age 18. In all, he played 767 official matches, a former club record—now held by Lionel Messi—and scored 85 goals.[14] Xavi is the first player in the club's history to play 150 European and FIFA Club World Cup matches combined.[15] With Barcelona, Xavi won eight La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. In 2015, he departed Barcelona for Al Sadd, where he won four trophies before retiring in 2019.
With Spain, Xavi won the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1999, and the Olympic silver medal at the 2000 Olympics. After making his senior team debut in 2000, he was capped 133 times for his country, and was an influential figure in the team's successes. He played an integral role in Spain's victory at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as their wins at UEFA Euro 2008 and UEFA Euro 2012. He was named Player of the Tournament at UEFA Euro 2008,[16] and was named in the UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament in 2008 and 2012. With two assists in the UEFA Euro 2012 Final, Xavi became the first player to register assists in two separate European finals, after setting up the only goal in the final four years earlier.[17] After the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Xavi announced his retirement from international football.[18]
Xavi came third in the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year, followed by third place for its successor award, the FIFA Ballon d'Or, in 2010 and 2011. In 2011, he was runner up to Messi for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. Xavi was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award in 2012. He was awarded the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker award four times, all straight between 2008 and 2011.
After retirement, Xavi transitioned to coaching, and he was named the manager at Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd in May 2019, where he won seven titles in less than three years. In November 2021, Xavi was appointed as manager at his former club Barcelona. He won the 2022–23 Supercopa de España and the 2022–23 La Liga title in his first full season as the club's manager.
- ^ a b "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: List of Players" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). 4 June 2010. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
- ^ "Xavi". FC Barcelona. Archived from the original on 22 April 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
- ^ "XAVI HERNÁNDEZ - MY TOP 4 (LEGENDS)". YouTube (in Spanish). 12 November 2021. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- ^ "Is Xavi Hernandez the greatest Spanish player of all time?". MARCA. 14 December 2020. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ January 2021, Paul Sarahs 07. "The 50 greatest footballers of all time". fourfourtwo.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Is Barcelona star Xavi the best centre midfielder of all time?". Goal.com. 30 November 2010. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
- ^ "CL Special: Xavi – The Best Centre Midfielder In The World, The Symbol Of Pure Football". Goal.com. 28 May 2009. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
- ^ "Xavi: Spain's greatest ever footballer?" Archived 11 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Eurosport. Retrieved 22 January 2016
- ^ "Sergio Busquets: Xavi is Spain's best player of all time" Archived 28 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Fox Sports. Retrieved 22 January 2016
- ^ "Xavi – a record title winner". FC Barcelona. 7 July 2012. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ "Overview: Xavi (25) becomes the Spanish player with most official trophies ever". News-football.net. 30 August 2013. Archived from the original on 13 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
- ^ "golden generation of Barca". 17 April 2020. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- ^ "Ballon d'Or Dream Team: Xavi alongside Messi and Cristiano". Marca. 14 December 2020. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Xavi numberswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Xavi, 150 international games with Barça". FC Barcelona. 23 October 2012. Archived from the original on 27 October 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ "Xavi emerges as EURO's top man". UEFA. 30 June 2008. Archived from the original on 1 May 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ^ "Casillas, Torres & Xavi amongst record-breakers for Spain". Goal.com. 1 July 2012. Archived from the original on 18 January 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
- ^ "Spain midfielder Xavi announces his retirement from international football". The Guardian. 5 August 2014. Archived from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.