Iconic Barcelona midfield duo to reunite at last in legends game against Real Madrid | OneFootball

Football as a sport is all about putting on a spectacle, and FC Barcelona as a club has always embodied that. Winning simply is not enough at the Catalan club, it must always come paired with exceptional performances and a specific style of play. Over the years, many greats of Barcelona have lived by that philosophy.

Two of the most prominent players to have done so were undoubtedly Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta. Beyond just being icons and legends of FC Barcelona together, they also dominated the world stage with their performances and victories for the Spanish National team, leading them to unprecedented levels of glory in both the European Championship and the FIFA World Cup of 2010.

However, just like any beautiful story, both of those midfielders can not live on forever without their book ending. For Iniesta, his departure from Barcelona came back in 2018, whereas Xavi Hernandez last played football for the Catalan club in 2015 after a historic treble-winning season for the Spanish giants.

Their iconic partnership thus concluded back in 2015, and they have not taken to the pitch together ever since. However, with Iniesta now retired, it would appear that a reunion on the pitch is already in the making for not just Xavi and Iniesta, but also former Barcelona players such as Javier Mascherano and Rafa Marquez, with the latter having most recently been the coach of Barcelona Atletic.

As highlighted by Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona is set to organize a legends match against Real Madrid over in Japan. The Ajinomoto Stadium will serve as the venue for this particular game between the greats of both El Clasico rivals, and it will be the second in a series of games with the first game set to take place in Doha, Qatar, at the end of November.

The game in Japan, however, will take place on the 15th of December, and it is expected to see several prominent players from both Barcelona and Real Madrid’s past appear and take on one another in a clash of legends. Kick-off is scheduled for 2 pm in local Japanese time, while it would be at 6 am as per the local Barcelona time. The first official El Clasico of this season ended in a victory for the Catalan giants, and perhaps the club’s legends will want to add to those celebrations.

For Iniesta, the venue will be close to home as he last played his football in Japan while he represented Vissel Kobe for the final few years of his playing career. As for Xavi Hernandez, the opportunity to pair up with Iniesta once again will surely be a nostalgic moment not just for him, but for the entirety of the football world as well.