Xavi vs Andrés Iniesta: Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta are two legendary midfielders who played for FC Barcelona and Spain.
Xavi was known for his precise passing, vision, and ability to control the pace of the game. He rarely lost the ball and helped his teams dominate, leading Spain to two European Championships (2008, 2012) and a World Cup (2010). At Barcelona, he won eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues.
Iniesta, on the other hand, was more attack-focused. He had great dribbling skills and could break through defenses with ease. His most famous moment was scoring the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final. He also played a key role in Spain’s European Championship wins and won nine La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues with Barcelona.
Together, Xavi and Iniesta formed a powerful duo, combining control and creativity.
Xavi vs Andrés Iniesta
In this article, we look at who is the better footballer between the two.
Xavi vs Andrés Iniesta All-Time Stats
Xavi has scored over 120 goals in his career, while Iniesta has 107. Xavi is known for his creativity, with more than 251 assists compared to Iniesta’s 191. Both are among the top players for assists and are skilled at taking penalties—Xavi has scored over 3, while Iniesta has scored over 18. Xavi has won 33 trophies in his career, while Iniesta has 37.
Here are their all-time stats.
| TOTALS | Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 1064 | 1016 |
| Goals | 124 | 107 |
| Ratio | 0.11 | 0.10 |
| Assists | 251 | 191 |
| Penalty | 3 | 18 |
| Free Kick | 16 | 2 |
| Hat Tricks | N/A | N/A |
| Trophies | 33 | 37 |
| Ballon d’Or | – | – |
| European Golden Shoe | – | – |
Xavi vs Andrés Iniesta Goals, Assists & Trophies at Club Level
In their club careers, Xavi and Iniesta have both been exceptional. Xavi played 931 matches, scored 112 goals, provided 217 assists, and won 29 trophies. Iniesta played 885 matches, scored 93 goals, made 161 assists, and won 32 trophies. Iniesta has more trophies, Xavi leads in goals and assists.
| Stat | Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 931 | 885 |
| Goals | 112 | 93 |
| Assists | 217 | 161 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 652′ | 665′ |
| Minutes Played | 73.072′ | 61.828′ |
| Trophies | 29 | 32 |
Xavi vs Andrés Iniesta Goals, Assists & Trophies at National Level
In their national team careers, both Xavi and Iniesta have been impressive, but Iniesta has a slight advantage in trophies.
Xavi won the 2010 World Cup, two EURO Championships (2008, 2012), and the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1999 with Spain.
Iniesta played 131 matches, scored 14 goals, and made 30 assists. He also won the 2010 World Cup, two EURO Championships (2008, 2012), the UEFA European Under-16 Championship in 2001, and the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2002.
| Stat | Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 133 | 131 |
| Goals | 12 | 14 |
| Assists | 34 | 30 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 784′ | 635′ |
| Minutes Played | 9.410′ | 8.894′ |
| Trophies | 4 | 5 |
Who’s More Impressive in the World Cup? Goals, Assists & Trophies
In World Cup performances, both players have similar records since they played together for Spain. Iniesta scored 2 goals across three World Cups, while Xavi didn’t score any. Xavi provided 2 assists, while Iniesta had 3. They won the World Cup in 2010.
| Stat | Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 15 | 14 |
| Goals | – | 2 |
| Assists | 2 | 3 |
| Penalty | – | – |
| Minutes Per Goal | – | 601′ |
| Minutes Played | 1.123′ | 1.201′ |
| World Cup | 1 | 1 |
Who’s More Impressive in EURO? Goals, Assists & Trophies
When comparing Xavi and Iniesta in the UEFA European Championship (EURO), their records are quite similar.
Xavi scored 1 goal and made 4 assists in EURO tournaments. On the other hand, Iniesta did not score any goals but provided 5 assists in EURO tournaments. They won the championship twice in 2008 and 2012.
| Stat | Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 11 | 16 |
| Goals | 1 | – |
| Assists | 4 | 5 |
| Penalty | – | |
| Minutes Per Goal | – | – |
| Minutes Played | 904′ | 1.328′ |
| EURO | 2 | 2 |
Who’s More Impressive in Champions League? Goals, Assists & Trophies
In the UEFA Champions League, Xavi scored 11 goals in 151 matches and won the trophy 4 times. Iniesta also scored 11 goals but did it in 130 matches and made 29 assists. Both won the Champions League 4 times with Barcelona in the years in 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11 and 2014–15.
Both players have similar records since they played for the same team.
| Stat | Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 151 | 130 |
| Goals | 11 | 11 |
| Assists | 31 | 29 |
| Penalty | 2 | – |
| Minutes Per Goal | 1.031′ | 840′ |
| Minutes Played | 11.338′ | 9.238′ |
| Champions League | 4 | 4 |
Who’s More Impressive in La Liga? Goals, Assists & Trophies
In La Liga, both Xavi and Iniesta have impressive records. Xavi scored 58 goals in 505 matches and made 130 assists, winning 8 La Liga titles with Barcelona. Iniesta scored 35 goals in 442 matches and provided 84 assists, winning 9 La Liga titles with Barcelona. Xavi leads in both goals and assists, showcasing his outstanding contributions to Spanish football, while Iniesta has more titles with 9 La Liga championships.
| Stat | Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 505 | 442 |
| Goals | 58 | 35 |
| Assists | 130 | 84 |
| Penalty | – | 1 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 676′ | 848′ |
| Minutes Played | 39.182′ | 29.687′ |
| La Liga | 8 | 9 |
Who’s More Impressive in Stars League/J1 League? Goals, Assists & Trophies
In the Stars League/J1 League, Xavi scored 20 goals in 81 matches and won the trophy once in the 2018–19 season. Iniesta scored 21 goals in 114 matches and provided 22 assists, winning the J1 League in 2023.
| Stat | Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 81 | 114 |
| Goals | 20 | 21 |
| Assists | 24 | 22 |
| Penalty | – | 9 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 348′ | 390′ |
| Minutes Played | 6.961′ | 8.190′ |
| Stars League/J1 League | 1 | 1 |
Xavi and Andrés Iniesta Matches Against Each Other
Xavi and Andrés Iniesta never faced each other in their careers, as they played together for the the same team many times.
Who Has More Trophies?
Both Xavi and Iniesta have won many trophies in their careers.
Xavi has won 33 trophies, including 4 UEFA Champions League titles, 10 La Liga titles, and 6 Spanish Super Cups. Internationally, he won the UEFA European Championship in 2008 and 2012, as well as the World Cup in 2010.
Iniesta has 37 trophies, including 9 La Liga titles, 4 UEFA Champions League titles, and 6 Copa del Rey victories. His international honors are the same as Xavi’s as both play same time for Spain.
| Competition | Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|---|
| La Liga | 8 | 9 |
| Copa del Rey | 3 | 6 |
| Spanish Super Cup | 6 | 5 |
| UEFA Champions League | 4 | 4 |
| UEFA Super Cup | 2 | 2 |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 2 | 3 |
| Qatar Stars League | 1 | – |
| Qatar Cup | 1 | – |
| Sheikh Jassim Cup | 1 | – |
| Emir of Qatar Cup | 1 | – |
| FIFA World Youth Championship | 1 | – |
| FIFA World Cup | 1 | 1 |
| EURO | 2 | 2 |
| J1 League | – | 1 |
| Emperor’s Cup | – | 1 |
| Japanese Super Cup | – | 1 |
| UEFA European Under-16 Championship | 1 | |
| UEFA European Under-19 Championship | 1 | |
| TOTAL | 33 | 37 |
Who Has More Individual Awards?
Iniesta has won more individual awards than Xavi. He has a total of 3 awards, while Xavi has won 2 awards.
| Awards | Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|---|
| The Best FIFA Men’s Player | – | – |
| Player of the Year | 1 | 1 |
| Ballon d’Or | – | – |
| European Golden Shoe | – | – |
| UEFA Best Player in Europe | – | 1 |
| Top Goalscorer | – | |
| TM-Player of the season | – | – |
| Olympic Medalist | – | – |
| Footballer of the Year | 1 | 1 |
| Pichichi Trophy | – | – |
| FIFA Puskas Award | – | – |
| FIFA World Cup Golden Ball | – | – |
| FIFA World Cup Silver Ball | – | – |
| TOTAL | 2 | 3 |
Who Scores More Penalty Goals?
Iniesta has scored more penalty goals than Xavi. Xavi took 5 penalties, scoring 3 and missing 2, which gives him a success rate of 60%.
In comparison, Iniesta took 21 penalties, scoring 18 and missing 3, resulting in a success rate of 85%. This shows that Iniesta has a higher success rate and overall better performance in penalties compared to Xavi.
| Penalty | Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|---|
| Total Penalty Taken | 5 | 21 |
| Total Penalty Scored | 3 | 18 |
| Total Penalty Missed | 2 | 3 |
| Success Rate | 60% | 85% |
Who Scores More Free Kick Goals?
Xavi is known for his free-kick precision, scoring around 16 free-kick goals in his career. In comparison, Iniesta has scored about 2 free-kick goals. This shows Xavi’s superior skill in taking free kicks.
| Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|
| 16 | 2 |
Who Has More Hat Tricks?
| Xavi | Iniesta |
|---|---|
| N/A | N/A |
Who’s the Better Passer?
Xavi is seen as the better passer for consistency, while Iniesta is praised for his creative passing.
Who’s the Best Dribbler?
Iniesta is generally considered the best dribbler due to his skillful and creative style.
Who Has the Best Heading Skills?
Xavi is often considered the better header of the ball because of his height and aerial skills.
Who Is Faster?
Iniesta is considered as the faster player, while Xavi is better at playmaking and tactics.
Who’s the Ultimate Winner?
Both players have made a lasting impact and are seen as some of the best in football history. Who is the “ultimate winner” can change depending on personal views about their playing style or individual achievements. Many fans value both for their unique contributions to the sport. They are both the greatest midfielders in history.