The football world was nearly an emotional wreck as Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta played his final game. Iniesta was one of 3 players to hang up his boots for good, along with Fernando Torres and Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon. FC Barcelona played against Real Sociedad at the Nou Camp and won, courtesy a goal from Philippe Coutinho.
After the matchโs conclusion, long after his teammate left, Iniesta remained on the pitch barefoot. This was truly an emotional sight as the 34-year old gazed on the Nou Camp one last time. It was 1am when he finally decided to make his move and begin the long walk home.
The man who scored the goal that won Spain the 2010 FIFA World Cup is an icon in his own way. The Spaniard was a vital cog in the well-oiled Barcelona machine. Messi, Suarez and Coutinho may have been the goal-scorers, but Iniestaโs influence was just as important, if not more.
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Thank you don Andres for all the unforgettable magical moments you graced with as barcelona, spanish national team and football fans, we are forever proud to have you, legend. You have our eternal respect and admiration @andresiniesta8 #Infinit8Iniesta pic.twitter.com/OcV1yIt7Tw
โ Jubari (@moju101) May 21, 2018
4 special years playing alongside you. I hope to see you soon again my friend. ๐๐๐ป @andresiniesta8 #Infinit8iniestahttps://t.co/rMapybH5ac pic.twitter.com/Pjakar9qCL
โ Marc ter Stegen (@mterstegen1) May 21, 2018
๐ต๐ด @andresiniesta8 at Barรงa:
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐#infinit8iniesta
๐ https://t.co/f76tFfnnSk pic.twitter.com/XbWoNAlx4hโ FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 21, 2018
Nit especial ahir al Camp Nou per tancar una molt bona temporada aconseguint Lliga i Copa. Grร cies a tots els que ens heu recolzat durant tota la temporada. I sobretot grร cies infinites @andresiniesta8 per tot el que he pogut disfrutar amb tu i tot el que ens has donat. pic.twitter.com/I5evd94tW5
โ Sergi Roberto (@SergiRoberto10) May 21, 2018
ยกGracias hermano! Cuรกnto te voy a echar de menosโฆ ๐ฉ๐๐ @andresiniesta8
Thanks bro! How I will miss youโฆ #InfinitoIniesta ๐ต๐ด pic.twitter.com/NFdy8vcKWrโ Ivan Rakitic (@ivanrakitic) May 19, 2018
๐โค Gracias infinitas, mago @andresiniesta8 te lo mereces todo. Y gracias aficiรณn por un cierre de temporada increรญble ๐๐ #ForรงaBarรงa #Infinit8Iniesta #MรฉsQueUnClub pic.twitter.com/uR7Cn1zz2l
โ Andrรฉ Gomes (@aftgomes) May 21, 2018
Gracies!! ๐ต๐ด #infinit8iniesta #ForรงaBarรงa pic.twitter.com/Inbk4OvXdp
โ Jasper Cillessen (@JasperCillessen) May 21, 2018
1.30am, the Nou Camp.
Iniesta says his final goodbye to the turf he graced so magnificently for so long. ๐๐ pic.twitter.com/fohX2Zz9FGโ Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 21, 2018
Andres Iniesta stayed on the pitch barefooted until after 1am following his final game for Barcelona. pic.twitter.com/EydUAIYtBn
โ Kieran Cunningham (@KCsixtyseven) May 21, 2018
Love this. #Barca #Iniesta pic.twitter.com/jZtNJ76QJk
โ Dave Downie (@daviddownie17) May 20, 2018
I still don't feel like Iniesta is going to play his LAST match today. I'm not prepared for this ๐ข๐๐#Iniesta pic.twitter.com/XEzNO2DECj
โ Mnguni ๐ (@MxolisiKhuzway0) May 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/hashiyea/status/998303526492299264
https://twitter.com/cartoonkamath/status/998317654669647873
An end of a golden era.
Infinitely unforgettable ๐๐ป๐๐ป#iniesta #Infinit8iniesta pic.twitter.com/Ccuh6eBcmtโ Z๐ซ (@ZiadSijeeni) May 20, 2018
Too painful๐#Iniesta pic.twitter.com/DDt4a1yDOZ
โ Zakariaโ (@ZMesalam) May 21, 2018
In an era when we canโt help but compare, Am I on my own when I say Iniesta was better than Xavi? #Iniesta #Barcelona
โ Rob Tuckey (@robtuckey28) May 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/Biryanist/status/998333065545027584
Great picture of a proper footballer #Iniesta pic.twitter.com/v98kcceCXw
โ John Atkinson ๐โ๏ธ๐ (@akyred) May 21, 2018
God bless #Iniesta ๐ pic.twitter.com/ydpDlrue9Q
โ Scott Summers (@Original_Nato) May 20, 2018
Lies, damn lies & statistics: Iniesta was about art โ not numbers https://t.co/nS4JYA5Pol #Barcelona #FCBarcelona #Iniesta #Iniesta8Infinit pic.twitter.com/2utAqySSyq
โ Mark Doyle (@Mark_Doyle11) May 20, 2018
Gracias #Iniesta
Greatest ever midfielderโฆWill be missed
L E G E N D pic.twitter.com/FbxwFsnDZq
โ Forum Keralam (FK) (@Forumkeralam1) May 20, 2018
No I'm not dat big a football fan!
I barely know the football terms & the game's rules!
I don't even know names of many players & to which teams do they belong!
But I surely know 1 thing today,
This very image here broke my heart. To it's core.๐ซ๐ญ๐#Iniesta8Infinit #Iniesta pic.twitter.com/jqyXvEk2c9โ Gopi Joshi (@BooksOverKindle) May 21, 2018
The most elegant and gracious footballer youโll ever likely to see. Don Andres โค๏ธ๐. #Iniesta pic.twitter.com/Qv6mf5ScYI
โ Luke Chamberlain (@LukaChamberlain) May 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/RafaFallon/status/998299492062584833
This, along with Tendulkar paying respect to Wankhede pitch, will go down as one of the iconic pictures of this decade #Iniesta pic.twitter.com/meSq47TBLl
โ Mihir Vasavda (@mihirsv) May 21, 2018
End of an era. What a legend and a BLOODY great footballer. #Iniesta pic.twitter.com/ftfa5wWw87
โ Justin (@justin_sandhu) May 20, 2018
Some people may see it as a player leaving a team. I see it as a piece of Barcelona leaving forever. #Iniesta8Infinit #Iniesta pic.twitter.com/b6aegOnV40
โ eric rojas (@erojas39) May 20, 2018
I was alive when Andreas Iniesta played his final game for Barcelona. Always been a big fan of his. Happy feet, leader and loved both by his teammates and his opponents. Gracias Iniesta ๐๐ #barca #barcelona #iniesta #legend #football pic.twitter.com/EA2ULIY99Y
โ Bramm Karamoja (@brammkaramoja) May 20, 2018
What a player. One of the best I've ever seen. #Iniesta
โ Neil Lovat (@neillovat) May 20, 2018
https://twitter.com/israr2408/status/998302387063414785
https://twitter.com/bgxrmcf/status/998298740342468608
Agree or disagree Iniesta the greatest ever Spanish player ever? #Barcelona #Iniesta
โ Dan Drury (@39mrdanddrp) May 20, 2018
#iniesta forever ๐ pic.twitter.com/VgdSjhMW9B
โ V (@Mehtab_17) May 20, 2018
Iniestaโs last game for Barca. First 15 minutes and heโs got the full range of of flicks & tricks on display. Worth watching for his dinks in the box alone #Iniesta
โ Nick Heggie (@NickHeggie) May 20, 2018
It's all about the team and the one person who stands up for them.
You will always be REMEMBERED.#Iniesta pic.twitter.com/RwaVnfTXEmโ SAURAV K. SINHA (@Saurav____Sinha) May 21, 2018
We all speak about Messi and Ronaldo being players from a different planet but i think you can put Iniesta in the same category. He is the epitome of a perfect midfielder. So simple yet dazzling on the ball #Iniesta
โ Daksh Hassija (@Daksh_LFC) May 21, 2018
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Iniesta Lockscreen ๐
Over to you Messi! Iniesta has played for the final time at Camp Nou, what a player! #Iniesta #FCB
RTโs and Likes appreciated ๐ค๐ป pic.twitter.com/VrtbjXj3rL
โ ๐๐ฌ๐ฏ๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ ๐๐ก๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฐ 92 (@FEdits92) May 20, 2018
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Undersized, not particularly fast, not particularly strong.
Iniesta represented everything that is beautiful about the world game. Through technical superiority, exceptional balance and extraordinary football intelligence, he became one of the very best.#Iniestaโ yonnie lipshatz (@yonnielipshatz) May 21, 2018