Top 5 Spanish players of the decade

Modified Dec 19, 2019 14:30 GMT

Spain v Sweden - UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifier

3. Andres Iniesta

Netherlands v Spain: 2010 FIFA World Cup Final

Despite moving away from European football in 2018, Andres Iniesta was one of the best players for Spain as well as FC Barcelona over the last decade. The Spanish international was at the heart of everything that Barca or La Roja created.

Iniesta, alongside Xavi Hernandez, formed a formidable duo which dismantled teams single-handedly. The Vissel Kobe star before leaving Camp Now won 6 La Liga titles, 5 Copa Del Rey titles and 2 UEFA Champions League trophies in the decade. Moreover, he was key player for the national side that won the UEFA Euro 2008 and 2012 and FIFA World Cup 2010.

Iniesta in his career has scored numerous goals but his most important one came in 2010. The 35-year-old scored in the extra time of the World Cup finals to break the deadlock between the Spain and Netherlands. His goal proved to be the winner as La Roja lifted the World Cup in 2010 beating the Dutch side 1-0.

Iniesta at Barcelona etched his name into the history books as one of the best midfielders to ever grace the game.

Also read: Barcelona's team of the decade

About the author

Samyak is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who focuses on writing a variety of listicles. A post-graduate in Finance with over 6 years of total work experience, Samyak became interested in football after watching the 2010 FIFA World Cup and some high-octane El Clasico clashes. His favorite footballer is Cristiano Ronaldo for the forward's mentality, and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, and Pep Guardiola for the brand of football their teams showcase.

Samyak only follows top tier and verified fan club social media accounts for sourcing information for his articles. One of his core strengths is crafting crisp and concise articles to avoid any and all potential confusion for readers. These shrewd methods have helped him attain strong readership on his articles, one of them even being read half a million times!

Zinedine Zidane's Panenka penalty in the 2006 final is Samyak’s favorite World Cup moment owing to the Frenchman’s sheer nerves of steel showcased, and thinks Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are ready to usher in a new era post-Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. During his free time, Samyak follows Real Madrid, plays football and reads finance articles.

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Edited by Sai Teja