Andrés Iniesta played his final match for Vissel Kobe on Saturday evening, bidding the Meiji Yasuda J.League goodbye after five magnificent years.
The Spanish legend was appropriately lavished in a pre-match farewell ceremony.
Then, Iniesta slotted into the Vissel starting lineup for the first time this season. He played a season-high 57 minutes, flashing some of the brilliant dribbling and passing that made him one of the best to ever play the sport.
Vissel fell behind early, but scored late to earn a draw that brought them within two points of Yokohama F·Marinos atop the J1 table.
When Iniesta signed for Vissel in 2018, he was the biggest star to play in Japan’s domestic league. He brought a spotlight to the J.League that had never been seen before and the league grew with him there, not just internationally, but on Japanese soil too as Iniesta inspired many around the country.
Iniesta also took Vissel Kobe to new heights. In 2019, they won the Emperor’s Cup for the club’s first-ever major trophy and the next year they won the Super Cup. Iniesta guided the Ushi into their first AFC Champions League campaign and then their second.
Iniesta helped build the winning foundation at the club that has them right in the heart of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League title now. Even as he leaves the J.League, he does so with a massive legacy, especially at Vissel.
A legend to the very end.
