Busquets is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation, forming a storied three-man midfield at Barcelona with Iniesta and Xavi Hernández behind Messi.

The elegance with which he played will be his trademark, the thing that will forever separate him from every other defensive midfielder to have ever played the greatest sport in the universe.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” Busquets posted on social media. “I feel that the time has come to say goodbye to my career as a professional footballer. It’s been nearly 20 years of enjoying this...