Sergio Busquets facts for kids
.jpg)
Busquets with Inter Miami in 2025
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sergio Busquets Burgos | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 16 July 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Sabadell, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Current team
|
Inter Miami | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Badia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1999 | Barberà Andalucía | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2003 | Lleida | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Jàbac Terrassa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Barcelona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Barcelona B | 25 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2023 | Barcelona | 481 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Inter Miami | 62 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Spain U21 | 3 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2022 | Spain | 143 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2016 | Catalonia | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 03:41, 27 July 2025 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sergio Busquets Burgos (born on 16 July 1988) is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a defensive midfielder for the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. Many people think he is one of the best defensive midfielders ever. He is known for his calm passes and smart way of playing.
Busquets joined Barcelona's main team in July 2008. He quickly became a key player. From the 2009–10 season, he was a regular starter. He played for the club for 14 years, leaving at the end of the 2022–23 season. Busquets played over 700 games for Barcelona. He won 32 trophies, including nine La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League titles. With coach Pep Guardiola, Busquets was part of a famous midfield trio. He played alongside Andrés Iniesta and Xavi. This trio helped Barcelona win many titles from 2008 to 2015. They won five La Liga titles and three Champions League titles. They also won the treble (three major titles in one season) twice.
Busquets first played for the Spanish national team in April 2009. He played 143 games for Spain and scored two goals. He helped Spain win the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. He also played in three other World Cups and two European Championships. He stopped playing for the national team after the 2022 World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Barcelona
Sergio Busquets was born in Sabadell, Spain. He started playing football at a young age. He joined Barcelona's youth teams in 2005. He played well for the youth teams. Two years later, he moved up to the B team. This team was coached by Pep Guardiola. Busquets helped the B team get promoted to a higher division. In the same season, he played his first game for Barcelona's main team.
.jpg)
Busquets played his first La Liga match on 13 September 2008. He played the whole game in a 1–1 draw against Racing Santander. He scored his first goal for Barcelona in the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League against Basel. Barcelona won that game 5–0. In December 2008, he signed a new contract until 2013. His first league goal came on 7 March 2009, in a 2–0 win over Athletic Bilbao.
On 27 May 2009, Busquets started in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final. Barcelona won 2–0 against Manchester United. With this win, Sergio and his father, Carles Busquets, became one of the few father-son pairs to win Europe's top club competition for the same team.
Becoming a Key Player
Busquets continued to play very well in the 2009–10 season. Coach Guardiola chose him as the main defensive midfielder. In 2010, during a Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan, there was a moment where an Inter player, Thiago Motta, was sent off after a clash with Busquets.
Busquets was always playing in the 2010–11 season. Sometimes, he even played as a centre back. In January 2011, he signed a new contract until 2015. On 28 May 2011, Busquets played the whole game in the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final. Barcelona won 3–1 against Manchester United at Wembley.
On 16 July 2013, his 25th birthday, Busquets agreed to a new deal until 2018. In August 2014, he was given the number 5 shirt. This number was previously worn by the team captain, Carles Puyol. Busquets also became one of the four captains for the club. The other captains were Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, and Lionel Messi.
Busquets started in the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final on 6 June. Barcelona won their fifth Champions League title by beating Juventus 3–1. This made Barcelona the first club to win the treble twice. Busquets and several teammates became the only players to achieve this twice.
On 3 October 2015, Busquets was captain for Barcelona for the first time. This happened when the regular captains were not playing. On 1 October 2017, Busquets scored in a 3–0 win against Las Palmas. This game was played without fans because of the Catalan independence referendum. About a year later, he signed a new contract until June 2023.
_57.jpg)
On 24 November 2018, he played his 500th game for Barcelona. On 11 December, he played his 100th Champions League game. On 9 January 2021, Busquets played his 600th game for Barcelona. Only Xavi, Iniesta, and Messi had played more games for the club. In August 2021, he became the club captain after Messi left.
On 12 January 2023, Busquets played his 700th game for Barcelona. This was in a cup semi-final match. Three days later, he played in the 2023 Supercopa de España final against Real Madrid. Barcelona won 3–1. Busquets became the player with the most games in El Clásico (matches between Barcelona and Real Madrid), with 45 games. He shared this record with Messi and Sergio Ramos. He also became the player with the most wins in El Clásico, with 21 wins. On 2 March 2023, Busquets broke both records as Barcelona won another El Clásico match.
On 10 May 2023, Busquets announced he would leave Barcelona at the end of the season.
Moving to Inter Miami
.jpg)
On 23 June 2023, Inter Miami announced they had signed Busquets. On 16 July, he officially signed a two-and-a-half-year deal. He joined his former Barcelona teammates Messi and Jordi Alba at the club. He won his first title with Inter Miami on 20 August 2023. They beat Nashville SC in the 2023 Leagues Cup final.
On 7 March 2024, Busquets played his first game in the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup. He helped set up a goal for Luis Suárez in a 2–2 draw. On 20 April 2024, Busquets scored his first goal for Inter Miami in a 3–1 win over Nashville SC.
International Career
On 11 October 2008, Busquets played his first game for Spain's under-21 team. He scored a goal in that match. On 28 December, he played his first game for the Catalan team.
On 11 February 2009, Busquets was called up to the senior Spanish team. He made his debut on 1 April 2009, playing 16 minutes in a 2–1 win against Turkey. That summer, he played in his first big tournament, the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, where Spain finished third.
Busquets was chosen by coach Vicente del Bosque for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He played every game and every minute for Spain, except for the last 30 minutes of one group game. Spain won the World Cup that year. He completed 88% of his passes, showing his accuracy.
At UEFA Euro 2012, Busquets played every minute as Spain won the title. He was named in the Team of the Tournament. On 8 September 2014, he scored his first goal for Spain in a 5–1 win against Macedonia. His second goal came on 15 November 2014, in a 3–0 win over Belarus. He also played in the main tournament in France.
Busquets played his 100th game for Spain on 9 October 2017. This was in a 1–0 win against Israel. He was then chosen for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
On 7 October 2020, Busquets was captain for Spain for the first time. This was in a friendly game against Portugal. In May 2021, he was included in the squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He was named captain for the tournament. He missed the first two group games due to COVID-19. When he returned, he was named man of the match in a 5–0 win against Slovakia. Four days later, he was again man of the match in a 5–3 extra time win against Croatia.
In the 2021 UEFA Nations League final against France on 10 October 2021, Busquets helped set up the first goal. Spain lost the match 2–1. Busquets won the Player of the Finals award for his great performances.
At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Busquets was the captain of the Spanish team. In the round of 16, he missed a penalty in a shootout against Morocco. Spain lost the game.
On 16 December 2022, Busquets announced he was retiring from international football. He had played 143 games for Spain over 14 years.
How Sergio Busquets Plays
Many experts believe Busquets is one of the best midfielders of his time. He usually plays as a central or defensive midfielder. He can also play as a central defender. Busquets changed how the deep-lying midfield position is played. He focuses on being smart with the ball, making accurate passes, and understanding the game. He doesn't rely on just strength or speed.
Busquets works very hard. He is good at winning the ball back and stopping the other team's attacks. This is because he knows where to be on the field. He is also good at tackling and reading the game. Even though he isn't the fastest, his vision, ball control, and calm play make him excellent. He rarely loses the ball.
With his former Barcelona teammates like Iniesta and Xavi, he helped control the game's speed. He did this with his short, quick passes. His playing style is often compared to his former coach, Pep Guardiola.
Coach del Bosque once said about Busquets: "If you watch the whole game, you won't see Busquets—but watch Busquets, and you will see the whole game." This means he is always doing important things that help the team, even if they are not always obvious. Busquets is also tall, which helps him win balls in the air.
Sometimes, Busquets has been accused of acting like he was hurt more than he was. However, he has said that this is just being "intelligent" in the game. Many people think Busquets is an underrated player. His teammate Lionel Messi once said, "When there will be trouble, Busquets will always be there."
Personal Life
Sergio Busquets' father, Carles, was also a footballer. He played as a goalkeeper for Barcelona in the 1990s.
In 2014, Busquets started a relationship with Elena Galera. They have two sons, born in 2016 and 2018. He has a tattoo on his left arm. It is in Arabic and means "A thing for you, the life in my country." This tattoo is for his grandfather, who he was very close to.
Honours and Awards
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21
- Supercopa de España: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2023
- UEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
Inter Miami
- Supporters' Shield: 2024
- Leagues Cup: 2023
Spain
- FIFA World Cup: 2010
- UEFA European Championship: 2012
- FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013; third place: 2009
- UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2020–21
Individual Awards
- Bravo Award: 2009
- La Liga's Breakthrough Player: 2009
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2012
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2014–15
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2015–16
- UEFA La Liga Team of the Season: 2015–16
- UEFA Nations League Finals Player of the Tournament: 2021
- MLS All-Star: 2024
Decorations
- Prince of Asturias Awards: 2010
- Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011
See also
In Spanish: Sergio Busquets para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of FC Barcelona players (100+ appearances)
- List of La Liga players (400+ appearances)
