Trivia

769 appearances for FC Barcelona from 1998 to 2015; scored 85 goals.

133 appearances for Spain National Football Team (2000-2014); scored 13 goals. Member of the Euro 2004, 2008, 2012, and the South Korea/Japan '02, Germany '06, South Africa '10 and Brazil '14 squads.

Honours with FC Barcelona: La Liga (1999, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015); Copa del Rey (2009, 2012, 2015); Supercopa de España (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013); UEFA Champions League (2006, 2009, 2011, 2015); UEFA Super Cup (2009, 2011); FIFA Club World Cup (2009, 2011).

Member of the Spain U20 team who won the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Won the silver medal with Spain Olympic football team at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Former boyfriend of journalist Elsa Egea.

Member of the Spain National team who won two UEFA Euro (2008 and 2012) and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Won the Don Balón Award in 2005.

Named in the UEFA Team of the Year in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Named in the FIFA FIFPro World11 six times (2008-2013).

Named the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Named in the UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament in 2008 and 2012.

Won three La Liga Awards as the Midfielder of the Year in 2009, 2010, 2011.

Named in the ESM Team of the Year in 2008/09, 2010/11 and 2011/12.

Bronze Ball at the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup.

Finished 3th in the Ballon d'Or 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Named in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Dream Team.

Named in the Don Balón Team of the Decade in 2010.

Silver Ball at the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup.

Met his wife Nuria Cunillera at young, they married in 2013.

Won the Player Career Award at the 2013 Globe Soccer Awards.

Won the treble with Barcelona (La Liga, Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League) in 2015.

Captain of FC Barcelona from 2014-2015.

Named in the All-time UEFA European U21 Championship Dream Team (2015).

Inducted into the New York City FC's Ride of Fame. (September 2015)

Named in the UEFA Ultimate Team of the Year (2015).

Won the Marca Legend Award in 2015.

Has a two children with his wife Nuria Cunillera: Asia (b. 2016) and Dan (b. 2018).

Named in the AFC Champions League OPTA Best XI in 2018.

117 appearances for Al Sadd SC (2015-2019); scored 25 goals.

2019: Retired from football at the age 39.

Played well over 150 games at the UEFA Champions League.

Head coach of Al Sadd (2019-2021) and FC Barcelona (2021-).

Named in the Ballon d'Or Dream Team (2020).

As a coach, he won two Qatar Cup (2020, 2021), two Emir of Qatar Cup (2020, 2021), the Sheikh Jassim Cup (2019), the Qatari Stars Cup (2020) and Qatar Stars League (2021) with Al Sadd.

Named in the IFFHS All-time Men's Dream Team in 2021.

Over his entire career, he officially scored 141 goals in 1,148 matches.