Sergio Busquets is a defensive midfielder whose reading of the game is just pinpoint while directing gameplay through short and calm passes, making him one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time.
Early life
Born in Sabadell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Busquets began his footballing journey with local team Badia del Vallès and had stints with Barberà Andalucía, Lleida, and Jàbac Terrassa before joining Barcelona’s La Masia in 2005. He scored seven goals in 26 matches for the Juvenil A team in the second season and two years later, Busquets was promoted to the B team under Pep Guardiola, playing a crucial role in the third division promotion as well. This consistent form earned him a first-team debut as a substitute in the Copa Catalunya.
FC Barcelona
In September 2008, Sergio made his La Liga debut, playing a full 90 minutes in a 1-1 home draw against Racing Santander. He scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in September during Barcelona’s 5–0 win over Basel at St. Jakob-Park and immediately netted the second goal in the 15th minute. In early December, he scored again in the European League, this time in the 83rd against Shakhtar Donetsk, which ended in a 2-3 defeat.
Pep’s ideology made Busquets extend his contract until 2013, on Christmas week, with a clause set at €80 million. His first league goal finally came in March 2009, in a 2–0 victory over Athletic Bilbao. Busquets was part of the starting eleven in Barcelona’s 2–0 Champions League final win over Manchester United in Rome, making him and his father, Carles Busquets, the third father-and-son duo to win the competition with the same club, joining Cesare and Paolo Maldini (A.C. Milan) and Manuel and Manolo Sanchís (Real Madrid) but he went a step further, winning the sextuple.
During the 2009–10 season, Busquets’ impressive form led Pep Guardiola to prefer as the permanent central holding midfielder over Yaya Toure. In the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan, Busquets was criticised for allegedly faking an injury that resulted in a Thiago red card.
Busquets cemented his position in the 2010–11 season, occasionally covering as a center-back as well. In the Champions League round of 16 against Arsenal he scored an own goal, but Barcelona overturned the tie to win 3–1 and advanced. Moreover, Busquets won another UCL final, defeating Manchester United 3-1 at Wembley.
A rare goal came for Busquets after four years, in a 2–2 draw against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-finals, as they walked out on aggregate. After Carles Puyol’s retirement in 2014, Busquets was later given the number 5 shirt and named one of the four captains of the club and helped Barcelona achieve a historic second treble by defeating Juventus 3–1 in the 2014/15 UCL Final.
On January 2021 he made his 600th appearance in a 4–0 and after Messi’s departure in August . Later, Busquets became club captain and won the Supercopa de España against Real Madrid, becoming the player with the most El Clásico matches and wins, alongside Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos.
Busquets announced his departure from Barcelona at the end of the season on May 2023.
Inter Miami
Sergio Busquets joined former team-mates Messi and Alba at Inter Miami, signing a two-and-a-half year contract. His first title was quickly secured with Inter Miami, after defeating Nashville SC in the 2023 Leagues Cup final. Busquets and Inter Miami debuted in the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Nashville SC, where he assisted Luis Suárez’s stoppage-time equalizer, resulting in a 2–2 draw in the first leg, and currently, the team is on an unbeaten run in the Western Conference of the MLS.
Also Read: Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez update ahead of Inter Miami’s clash against St. Louis City
Club stats
Barcelona: 18 goals in 722 appearances
Inter Miami: 1 goal in 41 appearances
International career
The Spaniard’s first cap for Spain came in the U-21 team and received his first senior call-up in early 2009 for a friendly against England. He was one of the substitutes in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier and debuted in the last sixteen minutes in a 2-1 win over Istanbul before finishing third in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
For the 2010 FIFA World Cup Busquets took over the holding midfielder role and played every minute of the tournament, except for the last 30 minutes of the 0-1 loss to Switzerland in the group stage, and finished with the third-highest pass success rate tied with teammate Puyol. Later, winning the trophy for the first time in their history.
Busquets played every minute in Spain’s EURO 2012 title defence, while EURO 2016 and 2020 did not go well for them. On the other hand, the World Cup has also had mixed results since 2014.
His 100th appearance for Spain came in October 2017, in a 1-0 away win against Israel during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Subsequently, he was also named in Julen Lopetegui’s squad for the finals in Russia.
Stats
Spain: 2 goals in 143 appearances
On December 20, 2022, Busquets announced his retirement from international football.
Personal life
Elena Galera and Busquets have been together since 2014 and the couple has two sons. He has an Arabic tattoo on his left forearm, which means “A thing for you, the life in my country,” dedicated to his close maternal grandfather.
Net worth
As per reports, Sergio Busquets makes $45 million a year.
Honours
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21
- Supercopa de España: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2023
- UEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
Inter Miami
- Leagues Cup: 2023
Spain
- FIFA World Cup: 2010
- UEFA European Championship: 2012
- FIFA Confederations Cup: Runner-up: 2013; Third place: 2009
- UEFA Nations League: Runner-up: 2020–21
- Xavi and Busquets with the Henri Delaunay Trophy after Spain won Euro 2012.
Individual
- Bravo Award: 2009
- La Liga’s Breakthrough Player: 2009
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2014–15
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2015–16
- UEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2015–16
- UEFA Nations League Finals Player of the Tournament: 2021
Decorations
- Prince of Asturias Awards: 2010
- Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011