Sergio Busquets

The most underrated great of the golden generation — the defensive midfielder who made Xavi and Iniesta function and won everything in football.

Sergio Busquets Burgos was born in Sabadell in 1988, son of former Barcelona goalkeeper Carles Busquets, and joined the club's academy at 11. He made his first-team debut in 2008 and spent 15 seasons (2008–2023), making 722 Barcelona appearances — the fourth-highest in club history — scoring 19 goals and providing 103 assists. He moved to Inter Miami in 2023. He earned 143 Spain caps scoring 2 goals — winning the World Cup (2010) and European Championship (2012). His 92% pass accuracy — the highest of any outfield player in Champions League history during his peak — reflects a defensive midfielder who played at a different pace to his opponents. His top speed of 27.8 km/h was never his attribute — his intelligence, positioning and ability to read the game before it happened were his tools. He covered 10.1 km per game. He won 31 major trophies with Barcelona — the most by any player in the club's history. He won 3 Champions Leagues. Pep Guardiola said of him: "If you watch the game, you don't see Busquets. If you watch Busquets, you see the whole game." He was named in the UEFA Team of the Year three times.

Deep-lying playmaker with exceptional positional awareness, passing range, and ability to break up play

Redefined the defensive midfielder role with exceptional positioning and game intelligence

• Champions League 2009, 2011, 2015 (Barcelona)
• La Liga 9x
• Copa del Rey 7x
• FIFA World Cup 2010 (Spain)
• UEFA Euro 2012
• FIFA Club World Cup 3x
• Champions League 2009
• Champions League 2011
• Champions League 2015
• FIFA World Cup 2010

Club Career

Club	Period	Apps	Goals	Shirt
Barcelona B	2007–2008	4	11	#5
Barcelona	2008–2023	120	18	#5
Inter Miami	2023–2024	34	2	—
Spain	—	143	2	—