Iniesta extends his contract with FC Barcelona until 2018

Barcelona (FCB).- Barça’s President Sandro Rosell used his media appearance this Thursday to announce the renewal of Andrés Iniesta’s contract until 2018. The player’s contract was due to expire in 2015, but has now been officially extended for a further three years.

A life at Barça

Iniesta will be 34 on June 30, 2018, which will mean he will have been at the club for an incredible 22 years. He first arrived at FC Barcelona in September 1996, when he was only 12. By the 2000/01 season he was making the switch from the U19 team to Barça B and in October 2002 he played his first game for the first team in Bruges.

Champion's genes

Iniesta won his place in the team without making a song and dance about it. But by the 2005/06 season he had become a key member of what became a Liga and Champions League double winning side. From then on, Iniesta became one of Europe’s most admired footballers as he helped the team to its greatest ever period of success.

His goals at Stamford Bridge paved the way to a dream 2009, and a run of titles that has continued through to the present day. He has won no fewer than 16 major trophies with FC Barcelona in five and a half seasons, as well as enjoying further success in the international arena, winning back-to-back European Championships and the first ever World Cup for Spain – and it was Iniesta’s goal against Holland in the final that won it.

Iniesta has made 479 official appearances for FC Barcelona, scoring 48 goals and winning a total of 21 major trophies.

Four more until 2018

Andrés Iniesta has become the fourth first team player to be on contract until 2018. Sergio Busquets, Cristian Tello, Leo Messi and Neymar Jr have also pledged their names to the FC Barcelona cause for at least the next five years.