Former Spanish international midfielder Andrés Iniesta, the man who scored the goal that gave Spain the World Cup title in 2010, tearfully admitted that he never thought "this day would come." This emotional moment took place during his retirement ceremony as a professional footballer at the old IMAX cinema in Port Vell, Barcelona.

"I suppose you'll allow me to get emotional today. But these are tears of joy, of pride, not sadness. These are the tears of that boy from Fuentealbilla who dreamed of becoming a professional footballer. And I made it, with a lot of hard work and effort... never giving up, values that have been essential in my life. I feel very proud of this journey, with all the people who have accompanied me," he said, his voice trembling at the beginning of the event.

In his farewell, Iniesta was joined by about 450 guests, including his wife Ana, their six children, his parents, and his sister. "My family has always been my driving force, my strength," he emphasized. Also present were former Barça teammates such as Gerard Piqué, Xavi Hernández, Anderson Luis de Souza 'Deco', Sergi Roberto, Marc Bartra, and Sergi Samper, with whom he also played at Japan's Vissel Kobe.

Real Madrid’s Message Bidding Farewell to Andrés Iniesta as a True Legend

There were also representatives from the current Barça squad, such as first-team coach Hansi Flick, players like Ansu Fati, Ronald Araújo, and Dani Olmo, as well as the Catalan club's president, Joan Laporta.

For more than an hour, Iniesta reflected on his long career, which saw him play until the age of 40, starting with his journey from Fuentealbilla to Barcelona when he was 12. "La Masia changed me forever. It was the best place to instill the values needed in life. I'm grateful to all the people—teachers, teammates... it's a stage that undoubtedly marked our lives. Coming to Barça was a dream I focused on because I wanted to achieve it," he recalled.

During his speech, videos were shown featuring the opinions of many of the coaches who trained him throughout his career, from his early days at Albacete—"my other team," Iniesta said—to managers like Lorenzo Serra Ferrer, Louis Van Gaal, Pep Guardiola, Luis Enrique Martínez, and Vicente del Bosque.

"All the coaches I've had, each in their own time, had a very important influence on me," said Iniesta, who scored two iconic goals: one in the 2010 World Cup final with Spain—"my second skin," he emphasized—and another at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea that sent Barça to the Champions League final. "I can't choose just one. One with the national team and one with Barça. I can't, and I'm not saying it to sound diplomatic. I had the opportunity to score both goals and to see people go crazy in those moments. On a personal level, those were my two most powerful moments," he reflected.

Iniesta also made sure to mention his final chapter in Japan, five years he described as "wonderful," marking "a memorable family time" he will never forget. "Japan will always be in our hearts," he summed up.

He leaves football with 39 titles, having never won the Ballon d'Or, despite marking an era as one of the best midfielders in history—a recognition he came close to in 2010, when he shared the podium with Xavi and Messi, his Barça teammates.

But for Iniesta, titles, whether collective or individual, are not what matters most: "The pride I feel isn't from the trophies, but from fulfilling my dream of becoming a footballer and earning the love of the people. The image of Xavi, Leo, and me, the three of us on the podium, is greater than winning it. Three guys from the academy, standing on the Ballon d'Or podium—that's the real prize from that day, not who won it."

Now, he embarks on a new phase, which, he assures, cannot be "far from football," though he will continue managing his businesses while training to become a coach. "It can't be any other way, because football has been my life," Andrés Iniesta concluded.