Andrés Iniesta, the unexpected hero, hangs up his boots

Andrés Iniesta, the man who scored the most important goal in the history of Spanish football to give Spain the only World Cup that shines in its record, says goodbye to football. The midfielder from Fuentealbilla - Albacete - turned a whole country upside down one afternoon in July 2010 with his goal against the Netherlands in South Africa and was wandering around the Persian Gulf, at 40 years old, exhausting his options to stay active with the ball at his feet.

The former Barça midfielder, born in La Mancha and adopted Catalan after landing in a land that opened its doors to him when he was just a child, will put an end to a career full of successes where he won absolutely everything. On the pitch, the image of a player who practiced 'slow-motion' football, who didn't lose the ball, who dribbled and thought quickly, and who off the field remained in the background without loud statements or extravagances will prevail. Despite his shyness, he recently sent a message to those who admire him: not even the greatest success guarantees good mental health. It is often thought that footballers are happy because they make money doing what they love most; this is not often the reality. Depression is for everyone.

"I had no desire to live. I didn't have that joy or energy that life must have. They test you and you're fine, but you notice that something isn't working. You get into your body and mind where everything looks black. I wished for night to come so I could take my pill and rest. It was the most pleasurable moment," he explained in an interview in which he delved into how the death of his close friend Dani Jarque in the summer of 2009 was the trigger for all this situation, a few months after the footballer who seemed not to be there although he was always there scored another unforgettable goal for Barça fans at Stamford Bridge, putting his club into the Champions League final against Chelsea. Although he is still in therapy, Iniesta overcame the darkest days. After the path to eternity in Johannesburg and after 16 seasons defending the Blaugrana shirt, he spent a few years in Japan and now resides in the United Arab Emirates.