Who is Xavi Hernandez? All the details and facts on one of the greatest midfielders ever

Who is Xavi Hernandez? All the details and facts on one of the greatest midfielders ever

Kevin Omuya
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:13 PM

Just who is Xavi Hernadez, anyway? He is the coach of the Barcelona football team and played professionally in Spain. His passing, vision, ability to keep possession of the ball, and positioning earned him a reputation as one of the finest midfielders of all time.

Xavi Hernandez's age
Xavi Hernandez, head coach of FC Barcelona, at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on January 1, 2022, in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: Marc Graupera Aloma
Source: Getty Images

In 1998, he made headlines after scoring in his first professional game, the Super Cup final. After waiting for a few months, he finally made his La Liga debut. In 1998, he joined Barcelona club and immediately became one of its superstars. Multiple magazines and organizations in the 1990s honoured him by naming him their player of the year. Additionally, in 2004, he was chosen as the team's vice-captain.

Profile summary

Title

Details

Full name

Xavi Crues Hernandez

Gender

Male

Date of birth

25 January 1980

Age

42 (as of October 2022)

Zodiac sign

Capricorn

Place of birth

Terrassa, Spain

Current residence

Spain, Barcelona

Nationality

Spaniard

Ethnicity

White

Religion

Islam

Height in feet

5'6"

Height

170cm

Weight

66kgs

Weight

150lbs

Hair colour

Black

Eye colour

Brown

Parents

Joaquim (father), Maria Merce (mother)

Siblings

Oscar, Benny, Alex, Ariadna, Dianalaura

Occupation

Football Coach

Former clubs

Barcelona FC

Position played

Midfield

Current team

Barcelona FC (coach)

National team

Spain

Net worth

$40 million

Social media

Instagram

Xavi Hernandez's age

He was born on 25th January 1980. He is 42 years as of October 2022. At age 11, he enrolled in Barcelona's La Masia youth system, and in August 1998, he made his professional debut for the club in a match against Mallorca.

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Xavi Hernandez's wife

Xavi Hernandez's wife
Xavi Hernandez, a former football player for Barcelona, holds hands with his wife. Photo: Eitan Abramovich
Source: Getty Images

According to reports, Nuria Cunillera and Hernandez met in 2012 and decided to get married on July 13, 2013. The beautiful pair tied the knot in Girona, Spain. The couple welcomed their first child, a beautiful daughter named Asia, in January 2016, and three years later, in November 2019, they welcomed their first son, Dan.

Xavi Hernandez's family

Xavi Hernandez's family
Members of Xavi's family in Bibo, Doha. Photo: @xavi on Instagram. (modified by author)
Source: UGC

You can be counted among the wealthy if you come from a football family. That is because of the high salaries in the world of football. This is the situation that Xavi finds himself in. He comes from a famous and prosperous football dynasty. 

His Father

Xavi's dad, Joaquinun Hernánde Garciaca, played football in Mexico. After retiring from playing, Joaquin coached several Catalan teams, including some in the Third Division. He is a guide and teacher to his son, Xavi.

His Mother

Maria Mercè Creus is the proud mother of Xavi. The veteran FC Barcelona midfielder once stopped himself from leaving the Catalan giants because of his "war" mother.

Xavi Hernandez’s Siblings

Ariadna Hernández (sister), Dianalaura Hernández (brother), Oscar Hernandez (brother), Alex Hernandez (brother), and Dianalaura Hernández (brother) are all of Xavi’s siblings.

Xavi Hernandez in Barcelona

Xavi Hernandez in Barcelona
Barcelona's former midfielder Xavi Hernandez celebrates after scoring during a second-leg semi-final football match in the Spanish Cup. Photo: Lluis Gene
Source: Getty Images

He is a former player and now a manager in the Spanish professional football league and currently oversees the affairs of the Barcelona team in La Liga. The passing, vision, ball retention and positioning that made him one of the best midfielders of all time are just some of the reasons why he joined Baca as a coach. The former midfielder is also one of the few members of the team to have participated in four of the five Champions League titles the club has won.

Xavi Hernandez's coaching career

In the Qatar Super Cup, his squad prevailed over Al-Duhail. In his managerial career, this is his first trophy. As manager of Al Sadd, a Qatari team, he brought home five titles.

Since November 2021, he has been leading FC Barcelona as its head coach. After Ronald Koeman's departure, he was brought back to Barcelona as the team's manager, with a contract that runs through June of 2024.

Xavi Hernandez's achievements

Xavi Hernandez's achievements
Nominee for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football, Barcelona's coach Pep Guardiola (left) and nominees for the FIFA Ballon d'Or, Xavi (right) and Messi. Photo: Franck Fife
Source: Getty Images

The 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or finalists included Xavi, Lionel Messi, and Andrés Iniesta, all of whom played for Barcelona with him. He lost the popular vote to Messi and Iniesta but beat out Messi to earn World Soccer's Player of the Year title.

He tied Miguel's club record of 549 appearances on 2nd January 2011, when he played against Levante. After this game, he surpassed César as Barcelona's most seasoned player in history.

He was given the captaincy for his final year with the Barca organization. Additionally, he became the eighth player in history to reach 500 appearances in La Liga.

He made his farewell appearance for Barcelona in the 2015 Champions League final, replacing Andrés Iniesta in the 78th minute. The team went on to win the European Cup by defeating Juventus with Xavi at the helm. With this victory, Barcelona made history as the first club to repeat success as domestic league, domestic cup, and European Cup champions.

Xavi Hernandez's trophies

CUPS AT NATIONAL LEVEL

Year

Word cup

Winner

1x

2010 South Africa

European Championship

Winner

2x

2012 Poland/Ukraine, 2008 Austria/Switzerland

Confederations Cup

Runners-up

1x

2013 brazil

EC Qualification

Winner

1x

2008 Austria/Switzerland

CLUB DOMESTIC

La Liga

Winner

8x

2014/2015, 2012/2013, 2010/2011, 2009/2010, 2008/2009, 2005/2006, 2004/2005, 1998/1999

Runners-up

6x

2021/2022, 2013/2014, 2011/2012, 2006/2007, 2003/2004, 1999/2000

Stars League

Winner

2x

2020/2021, 2018/2019

Runners-up

2x

2017/2018, 2016/2017

Copa Del Rey

Winner

4x

2014/2015, 2011/2012, 2008/2009, 1997/1998

Runners-up

2x

2013/2014, 2010/2011

QSL Cup

Winner

1x

2019/2020

Emir Cup

Winner

3x

2021, 2020, 2017

Runners-up

2x

2019, 2016

Super Cup

Winner

6x

2013/2014, 2011/2012, 2010/2011, 2009/ 2010, 2006/2007, 2005/2006

Runners-up

3x

2012/2013, 1999/2000, 1998/1999

Qatar Cup

Winner

3x

2021, 2020, 2017

Runners-up

1x

2018

Sheikh Jassem Cup

Winner

2x

2019, 2017

Runners-up

1x

2015

Copa Catalunya

Winner

1x

2013/2014

Trofeo Joan Gamper

Winner

1x

2022

CUPS AT CLUB LEVEL

UEFA Champions League

Winner

4x

2014/2015, 2010/2011, 2008/2009, 2005/2006

UEFA Super Cup

Winner

2x

2011/2012, 2009/2010

Runners-up

1x

2006/2007

FIFA Club World Cup

Winner

2x

2011 Japan, 2009 UAE

Runners-up

1x

2006 japan

Audi Cup

Winner

1x

2011

Xavi Hernandez's assists

In his club and international careers, he racked up 238 assists. Moreover, he has contributed to 214 assists in club football and 24 for the Spanish national team.

Xavi Hernandez's career

Xavi Hernandez's career
The FC Barcelona team celebrates the victory during La Liga match 29 between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Bernabeu on March 23, 2014, in Madrid, Spain. Photo: Miguel Ruiz
Source: Getty Images

In his first year as a senior international player in 1998, he made headlines all around the country. On his La Liga debut, he scored a goal that Barca won 3-1. As a result of his outstanding play during the season, he was honoured as La Liga's Newcomer of the Year.

He was promoted to vice-captain in 2004 and capably led the club to back-to-back La Liga and Supercopa de Espana titles for Barcelona. He was also named the La Liga Spanish Player of the Year.

He was named the Euro 2008 tournament's Most Valuable Player for his spectacular play, which included several highlight-reel assists and passes. In the 2009 Copa del Rey final, Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 4-1, and he scored a goal in that game.

Who was better, Xavi or Iniesta?

According to statistics, Iniesta, 33, has more trophies than Xavi, 31, making him the Spanish player with the most awards. For Barcelona, Xavi has scored 58 more goals than Iniesta's 35.

How many Champions League titles has Xavi Hernandez won?

How many Champions League titles has Xavi won?
Barcelona's midfielder Xavi celebrated with the trophy after the UEFA Champions League win at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on June 6, 2015. Photo: Patrick Stollarz
Source: Getty Images

He began his football career in Barcelona. With Barcelona, he won eight La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles.

How many goals did Xavi score in his career?

He has scored 84 goals in all competitions. That includes the major national tournaments.

Where is Xavi Hernandez now?

He is currently the manager of Barcelona, colloquially known as Barça. Xavi Hernandez is considered among the best midfielders in the game's history. Barcelona's domination over the previous few decades is partly due to his efforts.

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Authors
Kevin Omuya photo
Kevin Omuya
Kevin Omuya is a Content Writer with 4 years of experience who joined Sports Brief in 2022. In 2019 he held a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Digital Media from KCA University.