Sergio Busquets will become the final member of Barcelona’s 2011 Champions League-winning side to depart the club this summer, after he announced his decision to leave the Nou Camp on Wednesday.
Described by Sir Alex Ferguson as “the best I have faced,” the team included Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, and was managed by now-Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
Following that 3-1 triumph over Manchester United at Wembley on 28 May, Guardiola is yet to taste European success since, despite having managed both Bayern Munich and City.
Twelve years on, those who made up that scintillating 2011 side have experienced varying journeys, with some going on to World Cup glory and others turning their hand to management…
Goalkeeper – Victor Valdes
Valdes left Barcelona in 2014 after 12 years at the Nou Camp, winning six league titles, the Champions League three times and the Spanish Cup twice.
He joined Manchester United, but fell out with then-manager Louis van Gaal. After a loan stint at Belgian club Standard Liege he joined Middlesbrough before retiring in 2018.
A move into management followed for the 41-year-old, with time spent in charge of Barca’s under-19 side and a season at Spanish lower league side UA Horta, which ended in 2021.
Left back – Eric Abidal
Frenchman Abidal made a remarkable recovery from a liver tumour in 2011 to start the Champions League final and, unfortunately, had to undergo a liver transplant in 2012 due to complications.
On 18 December 2012, he returned to training, making his first senior start since surgery on 6 April.
In 2013, Abidal moved back to former club Monaco, and then again to Olympiacos in 2014 before retiring.
The 43-year-old did return to Barcelona in June 2018 as director of football, but was dismissed in August 2020.
Centre-back – Javier Mascherano
Former Liverpool and West Ham midfielder-turned defender Mascherano, now 38, was named manager of Argentina Under-20s in December 2021 and still holds that post today.
The Argentine left the Nou Camp after an eight-year spell and was another to have achieved the Treble twice.
Mascherano joined Hebei China Fortune from Barcelona in 2018 and moved back to his homeland to play for Estudiantes, before retiring in 2020.
Centre-back – Gerard Pique
Pique’s commitment to Barcelona is similar to that of Busquets, with the centre-back having spent another 11 years at the club after the 2011 Champions League final and retiring in November 2022.
The defender also helped Spain win the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship, and Barcelona to further La Liga titles in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
A third member of the 2011 squad to have achieved the Treble twice, since retiring the 36-year-old has explored multiple business interests – including creating a new football concept, ‘Kings League’.
Right back – Dani Alves
Alves, 40, initially left Barcelona in 2016 but returned for the 2021-2022 season. He moved to Mexican club UNAM in 2022 but had his contract terminated after he was arrested for an alleged sexual assault in January 2023. Alves denies any wrongdoing.
As a footballer, he was one of seven players to have won the Treble of domestic league, domestic cup and European Cup twice, along with some others on this list, after Barcelona’s 2015 Champions League success.
He played for Juventus, Paris St-Germain and Sao Paulo between his spells at Barca.
Midfielder – Sergio Busquets
Midfielder Busquets’ departure comes after 18 years at the club, having come through their youth ranks.
His time was littered with success for club and country, with Busquets having also won the domestic league, domestic cup and European Cup Treble twice in his 718 appearances.
After the 2011 Champions League final, the Spanish World Cup winner, 34, claimed a further 18 major honours for the club.
Midfielder – Xavi
Busquets has remarkably remained at Barcelona for the same time it took fellow midfielder Xavi to finish his own career, retire, and become manager at the Nou Camp.
Xavi, now 43, was a crucial figure for the Catalans prior to his move to Qatari team Al Sadd in Qatar in 2015.
After four years as a player, the Spaniard became manager of the club – winning the Qatar Stars League in 2021 – and then replaced Ronald Koeman at the Nou Camp in November 2021.
Midfielder – Andres Iniesta
The third member of that magical midfield trio turns 39 on Thursday and still plies his trade in Japan for Vissel Kobe.
Iniesta remained at Barcelona for a further seven years after the 2011 Champions League final and eventually departed for Asia in 2018 after experiencing plenty of further success in Catalonia.
Since then, he has made 133 appearances for the Japanese club and lifted the Emperor’s Cup with them in 2019.
Forward – Lionel Messi
Messi, 35, finally lifted the World Cup with Argentina in December 2022 – arguably his biggest achievement since his time at Barcelona.
Another member of the team who went on to win the Treble twice for the Catalans, Messi moved to Paris St-Germain in the summer of 2021 after a tearful exit amid the financial struggles of the Catalan club.
He is set to leave PSG at the end of the season and the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has been linked with a move to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal. Barca – where he spent 21 years – are also keen on bringing him back.
Forward – David Villa
Villa is currently working as the technical advisor and head of global football operations of Indian club Odisha FC and owner of USL Championship side Queensboro FC, who will begin playing out of New York in 2023.
That’s quite a change of pace for a deadly striker, now 41, who lifted eight trophies during his time at Barcelona.
Villa left the Nou Camp in 2013 for Atletico Madrid, and also played for New York City, Melbourne City and Vissel Kobe before retiring in 2020.
Forward – Pedro
Now 35 and at Serie A side Lazio, Pedro moved from Barcelona to Chelsea in 2015, spending five years there before transferring to Roma in 2020.
Another one of the Catalans’ double Treble winners, Pedro won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2017 and the 2012 Euros with Spain following the 2011 Champions League final.
Substitutes
Some notable names were on Barca’s bench on that day at Wembley too.
Thiago Alcantara, who was just breaking through, now operates at Liverpool and the 32-year-old established himself as a top professional at Bayern Munich after his time at the Nou Camp.
Forwards Bojan and Ibrahim Affelay also went on to play for Stoke City in the Premier League, while former club captain Carles Puyol retired in 2014 after spending his whole 19-year career at the club.
Credit: BBC Sports
Easily the best Barca team ever. The squad with Ronaldinho, Eto and Puyol was also very good.