Hernández, Xavi (1980-…), was a Spanish professional soccer player. Soccer is called football in much of the world. Hernández, known simply as “Xavi,” is considered one of the best midfielders in soccer history. He also is considered one of the game’s best playmakers. In soccer, a playmaker controls a team’s offense, often coordinating scoring chances through precise passing. From 2008 through 2012, Xavi helped drive the Spanish national team, commonly known as La Roja (The Red), to three straight major championships. Xavi—along with long-time teammate Andrés Iniesta—mastered the tiki-taka (or tiqui-taca) play style, which involves short passes and dashing movement. For a discussion of soccer positions and formations, see Soccer (Players and officials).
Xavier “Xavi” Hernández i Creus was born on Jan. 25, 1980, in Terrassa, Catalonia. His father, Joaquín Hernández, was a professional soccer player. As a youth, Xavi attended Barcelona’s famed La Masia soccer academy. He became a professional in 1998. He made his first appearance for La Roja in 2000.
Xavi played the first 17 years of his professional career with FC Barcelona, commonly known as Barça. FC stands for football club. In 2006, Barça won the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League title. The Champions League is an annual tournament among Europe’s top professional clubs. Also in 2006, Xavi started for La Roja in the FIFA World Cup tournament. FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football). FIFA is soccer’s world governing body.
In 2008, Xavi earned Player of the Tournament honors as Spain won its first UEFA European Championship since 1964. The European Championship is second in prestige and popularity only to the World Cup. Xavi was voted the Champions League’s best midfielder during Barça’s run to another league title in 2009.
Xavi helped lead Spain to its first ever World Cup championship in 2010. In 2011, he led Barça to its third Champions League title in six years. Xavi paced Spain to another European Championship title in 2012. After playing in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Xavi announced his retirement from Spain’s national team. In 2015, after winning another Champions League title with Barça, Xavi announced his transfer to Al Saad Sports Club in Qatar. Xavi retired from playing soccer in 2019. He became the coach of Al Saad Sports Club, a soccer team in the Qatar Stars League, the highest men’s professional soccer league in Qatar. In 2021, Xavi left Al Saad and became the coach for FC Barcelona.
