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When Barcelona and Real Madrid play each other on December 15 at Tokyo, Japan's Ajinomoto Stadium, some of their legendary players will be back in action. On December 15, FC Barcelona will play Real Madrid at Tokyo's Ajinomoto Stadium in Japan, marking the first time Andres Iniesta as well as Xavi Hernandez would play since their retirement. The game is one of several showcase matches involving the two competing La Liga teams; the first one is set for November 28 in Doha, Qatar.
FC Barcelona released a statement which said, “The Barca Legends programme was created in 2016 and is managed directly by the club. The idea is to bring together former stars in an ongoing project that contributes to the globalisation of the Barca name around the world, thus offering a platform to foster the club’s famous values.”
Club legends like Iker Casillas, Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos, Steve McManaman, Ivan Campo, as well as Julio Baptista will be represented by the Real Madrid Legends squad. Top players including Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Rivaldo, Javier Mascherano, Rafa Marquez, as well as Bojan Krkic will be a part of Barça Legends.
Xavi and Iniesta’s stellar career in football
Both Xavi and Iniesta were club veterans who helped the Blaugrana win the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, and Copa del Rey twice in 2009 and 2015. They also helped Spain win its first FIFA World Cup in 2010. Last month, Iniesta announced his retirement from professional football, making him the most accomplished Spanish football player in history with 38 club and national trophies.
In the meantime, Xavi has won 31 titles for the club and the nation in Spain while serving as manager and player. After four years as manager, he assisted the team in winning the league title in 2023—the first time this century when Lionel Messi was not present. After the UEFA Champions League 2015 final, he left Barcelona as the player with the most appearances, a record that Messi exceeded in 2021.