He’s no ordinary player. At 37, Sergio Busquets – the footballer with the third most appearances in Barça history with 722 games and the winner of 32 trophies in the blaugrana jersey – has announced he will hang up his boots at the end of the current MLS season with Inter Miami. One of the greatest midfielders the game has seen, and a cornerstone of the finest Barça side of all time, is calling time on a glittering career.

Busquets made his Barça debut on 13 September 2008, when Pep Guardiola (already familiar with him from Barça Atlètic) handed him his chance against Racing Santander. From that moment, his rise was meteoric. Just months later, the son of former Barça goalkeeper Carles Busquets was starting in the Champions League final in Rome, where Barça swept aside Manchester United.

Departure in 2023

Elegance, intelligence and that uncanny ability to read the game made him irreplaceable in the heart of midfield for both Barça and Spain. Alongside Xavi and Iniesta in the fabled engine room, Busquets went on to collect trophies at a relentless pace: three Champions Leagues, nine Ligas, seven Copas del Rey, seven Spanish Super Cups, three UEFA Super Cups and three Club World Cups. Add to that a World Cup and a European Championship with Spain, and the roll of honour is staggering.

In 2023, after 15 years and 722 games in the first team, the man who inherited his good friend Carles Puyol’s no.5 shirt said goodbye to his lifelong club. He crossed the Atlantic to join Inter Miami, linking up once more with Leo Messi, Jordi Alba and Luis Suárez. Now, as he reaches the final straight of a remarkable career, football tips its hat to a true master of his craft.

Thank you for the football, Sergio.

Força Barça