Barcelona send a special gift to Andres Iniesta to celebrate his 1000th career appearance

Andres Iniesta reached yet another milestone in his distinguished career on Friday when he made his 1000th professional appearance as a footballer.

Although it was a bittersweet moment for Iniesta, as his team Emirates Club lost 2-0, the midfielder received praise from all across the footballing fraternity.

His former club Barcelona took no time to congratulate the Spaniard, who continues to test the footballing pitch, even at the age of 39.

Barcelona send a special gift to Iniesta

In light of his milestone, Barcelona have sent a special gift to Andres Iniesta, straight to his current home in the United Arab Emirates.

Barcelona sent him a special Iniesta kit, with the number 1000 engraved on the back. The gift commemorates the midfielder’s special achievement.

Una caixa plena de mem♾️ries… pic.twitter.com/C2gGoplRCP

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat) March 2, 2024

Barça posted a video of Iniesta unwrapping the gift, which was followed by a montage of the midfielder’s special moments of his Barcelona career.

The montage included his memorable goal at Stamford Bridge, the cup trophy he lifted at Wanda Metropolitano as the captain and his farewell game at Camp Nou.

Iniesta, after all, is regarded as one of the biggest legends at Barcelona, having played in well over 600 of his 1000 matches donning the Barça kit. Only three players, including Lionel Messi, have made more appearances for the club.

Apart from the club showering praise on Iniesta for his special achievement, the 39-year-old also received plaudits from his former midfield teammate Xavi Hernandez.

Iniesta, for his part, was overwhelmed by his achievement. “Reaching this figure is something very special for me. When I played on the Fuentealbilla court or in Albacete, my dream was to be a footballer, but I could never imagine that I could enjoy such a long and beautiful career. I feel privileged,” he had said, shortly after his 1000th appearance.