Barcelona, Spain (AP) – Sergio’s basketball was a midfield maestro who recovered the ball and launched an offense, delivering its key passes for superstar teammates such as Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta to turn into goals during Barcelona’s heyday.
The 37-year-old Spanish world champion will soon end his hugely successful career and will retire from football at the end of his current season with Intermiami, the Major League soccer team said Thursday.
Busquets is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation, forming the midfield of Barcelona’s renowned three, along with Xavi Hernández behind Iniesta and Messi.
Busquets made his debut for Barcelona under Pep Guardiola in 2008, playing 722 games for the club.
He wasn’t fast or torn muscle. He rarely scored. However, his whimsical frame betrayed tenacious tacklers and professional passersby, making him the ideal anchorman for the best teams that both Barcelona and Spain have ever had.
Barcelona called him “the greatest cornerstone on the Barcelona side of history.”
He played 143 games in Spain, winning the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championship in 2012. He was the Spanish captain who retired from international competitions in 2022.
In 2023, Baskett joined Intermiami and reunited with Messi and other former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba. The team said the Busquets had a “extraordinary career” and was “one of the greatest midfielders in football history.”
His former teammates and rivals praised him on social media.
“Brother, what a privilege to play with you,” Iniesta wrote on Instagram. “Your way of playing is kind of, and we will never forget that.”
Former Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, a club rival in basketball and a teammate with Spain, recalls the time he shared on the field as well as the “slack and authentic character” of basketball.
“(You’ve been a rival most of the time, but there are other teammates too (but) you’ve always stood out because of your class, vision and talent.”
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