Xavier "Xavi" Hernández i Creus, born 25 January 1980, is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national football team.
Xavi came through La Masia, the Barcelona youth academy, at the age of 11. He made his first-team debut against RCD Mallorca on 18 August 1998. Since then he has played 673 matches, scored 80 goals and made more than 180 assists for over 50 players. Xavi is the first player in FC Barcelona's history to play 150 international matches. He is considered to be one of the greatest midfielders of all time, and the best playmaker of his generation.
Xavi won the U-20 World Cup for Spain in 1999, and the Olympic Silver Medal at the 2000 Olympics. Since making his senior team debut in 2000, he has been capped 130 times for the Spanish national team, and has been seen as an influential figure in the team's tremendous success. He played a key role in Spain's victory at the 2010 World Cup, as well as both Euro 2008 and Euro 2012. He was named Player of the Tournament by UEFA at Euro 2008.[8] Xavi was selected in the 2010 World Cup All-star Team, and the UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament in 2008 as well as 2012. Playing for Barcelona, Xavi won the Man of the Match award in the Champions League Final in 2009.
Xavi has won more trophies (25) than any other Spanish player in history. He won the World Soccer Player of the Year award in 2010. Xavi has received five Ballon d'Or nominations, and finished in third place in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In 2011, he was runner up to Messi for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. He has been awarded the IFFHS World's Best Playmaker award for 4 years: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. Xavi has been voted into both the FIFA World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year on 5 occasions each: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. At Euro 2012, with his 2 assists in the Final, Xavi became the first player to register assists in 2 separate Euro finals, having set up the lone goal in the Final 4 years ago. He...