50 Greatest Players in World Cup History: #47 Andres Iniesta
The World Cup final had been deadlocked for 115 long minutes when Fernando Torres tried to pump the ball into the box from the left flank. The ball wouldn't reach the target, the night had taken a toll on the runners. But following some pinball activity at the edge of the area, Cesc Fabregas rolled the ball deftly into the path of Andres Iniesta.
You know what happens next.
Andres settled the deal. The Oranje would wallow in despair. The golden generation of Spain had painted the world red and at the heart of it was this little magician who popped up in pockets he would then transform into treasure troves using the modern form of footballing witchcraft.
One of the greatest players ever to have not won a Ballon d'Or, Iniesta typified the technical brilliance of the Spanish like no other. Save the superlatives, Andres Iniesta's greatness can be best understood through knowing that Lionel Messi, the greatest footballer on the planet, turns to him in the face of adversity and asks him to come closer; to operate closer to him so that the baby-faced assassins could bludgeon even the most trying of oppositions to eternal rest.
The 2010 World Cup happened when Iniesta was working at the peak of his powers and him along with Xavi and Alonso in central midfield would take the mickey out of the hapless opponents who always ended up one yard shorter. It was measured carnage that was twofold- running them short of breath and sapping them of the spirit to play football because nobody likes chasing the ball around the park for an hour and a half.
Iniesta played on the pitch like he was playing PlayStation, sitting on a bean bag, sipping on Sangria. Such was his vision. Thierry Henry had once said that Pep used to instruct his players to stay in position and trust their teammates to find them there. Is it just me or is that just about the most entitled, privileged thing you've heard a gaffer say? Don't blame him, blame the likes of Andres for enabling it.
In 2010, in South Africa, Iniesta was constantly playing the right notes and had the world dancing to the tune. He did that while struggling to break out of a 'dark place' like he himself described. He had to battle with injury, depression and the death of a dear friend, Dani Jarque. So when he wheeled away in uncontainable joy, he took his shirt off to reveal a vest underneath with the message, 'Dani Jarque, always with us.'
Iniesta was in the running for the Golden Ball and had orchestrated many an important win for La Furia Roja, even scoring the all-important winning goal against Chile in the group stage. He was also the man of the match in the final. Every footballer's wet dream. Iniesta did that while just being up to his usual tricks.
With the ball at his feet, Iniesta was a menace the oppositions would have nightmares of and that's the reason why he would come away from the World Cup final with scars all over. It was indeed warfare and it was only fitting that he proved to be the difference between the sides on the grandest stage of 'em all.
Wherever Iniesta goes, people stand up and applaud and Andres meekly looks up and thanks them all, modest to a fault. And as he walks away from Barcelona, football fans will feel a tug at the heart because there is no way you could love football and not admire this champion that at times we feel like we don't deserve.
The wait for the next Andres Iniesta could never bear fruit for all we have seen and known. And that's quite alright. A highlight reel of Spain's finest will stretch till we're bloody sick of beauty. Spain hasn't been able to replicate their success from 2010 and they crashed out of the 2014 World Cup in the group stages.
But Iniesta will go down in history as one of the greatest ever and when he picked up an injury before the World Cup in 2010, Vincent Del Bosque said that he'd wait for as long as it took for Andres to get back because quality like that need not be tried and tested in the training ground. It is meant to paint itself on the grand canvas and boy o boy, isn't it beautifully poetic how it actually freaking did?
Thank you, Andres Iniesta. Of course, he is one of our 50 Greatest players in World Cup history.