Few footballers are better placed to settle an argument about midfield greatness than Andres Iniesta. His own four picks begin with a name that is neither Spanish nor from the Camp Nou dynasty he helped build.

Iniesta put Michael Laudrup at the top, calling the Dane the player he has been trying to imitate since childhood. The former Barcelona and Spain midfielder named his four best in a 2020 interview with ex-Vissel Kobe teammate Nasu Daisuke’s YouTube channel, reported by Goal, with the ranking resurfacing in a feature from GiveMeSport on 5 October 2026.

The Danish idol he followed to Japan

Laudrup spent five seasons at Barcelona from 1989 under Johan Cruyff, winning four consecutive La Liga titles and lifting the club’s first-ever European Cup against Sampdoria at Wembley in 1992. He moved to Real Madrid in 1994 and won a fifth straight Spanish title, then joined J.League side Vissel Kobe for a single season in 1996, the same Japanese club Iniesta would sign for 22 years later.

The symmetry runs through Iniesta’s quote.

Read also: Tuchel plans heavy rotation against Czechia

“Michael Laudrup is my idol from childhood. His technique and his beautiful play style, the way he attacked as a midfielder; I’ve been trying to be like him since I was a kid.”

Xavi as the ideal player

Xavi was Iniesta’s midfield partner for over a decade at Barcelona and for Spain, including the 2010 World Cup win in South Africa.

“I played with Xavi for a long time and I’ve watched him a lot on television. He is my ideal player because of how he can control games. He has the ability to provide quality passes in the right places and he is also a leader.”

Busquets reads matches better than anyone

Busquets slotted in behind Xavi and Iniesta from 2008 onward and shared the same spine for club and country through back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012.

Read also: Report: Liverpool ready to pull plug on big signing after dramatic Anfield downfall

“Just like Xavi, I played with Sergio Busquets for a long time too, both with Barcelona and in the Spanish national team.”

“He plays a very important role, the supporting midfielder. He can read football matches so well.”

Guardiola as the fourth name

Guardiola’s shadow sits over almost everything else on the list. He played in the Barcelona midfield of Cruyff’s early-1990s side alongside Laudrup, then returned as coach to launch the Barcelona generation of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets. Iniesta added him as a boyhood favourite rather than a pure footballing choice.

“Pep should also be on the list because he was a childhood hero alongside Laudrup.”

Read also: France’s bench turns a losing night into a 4-1 rout of Belgium

Iniesta retired on 8 October 2024 at the age of 40, after a club and international career that produced four Champions League titles, nine La Liga crowns, the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships, with Xavi and Busquets alongside him for most of it.

Read also: Former Man Utd star lifts lid on Cristiano Ronaldo after explosive Portugal exit