If you were talking about matchups in the week’s before Wednesday’s Champions League final, the main one that came up was probably Ronaldo vs. Messi. Sure, they’re different players, with different styles and goals and ideas about how to play on the pitch. For most, they’re the best and second best players in the world (who’s in which spot is up to you). At the same time, when I was watching that game, everything came back to Xavi. So my question is: if Xavi’s the player that the entire team revolves around, and if he can dictate the pace, possession, and tempo of a match between two of the best teams in the world, why isn’t Xavi considered the best player in the world?
Xavi was definitely pulling the strings in the Champions League final. Looking at the final stats, he completed 66 of his 71 passes, making him the most efficient passer in the game both in terms of raw numbers and efficiency. Put another way, nobody attempted or completed more passes in that game than Xavi. And while he didn’t score, he glanced a gorgeous free kick off the post and found Messi’s head with a gorgeous curling cross, sealing the victory for the Catalans. He was the top assister in the Champions League, in fact, with seven goals created directly by his passing.
That’s the kind of thing that Xavi’s done all season, though. In the 6-2 demolition of Real Madrid earlier in May, it was Xavi who, after laughing briefly with the ref, picked Carlos Puyol’s head out of a sea of Madrid defenders to send Barcelona ahead by a goal. In fact, Xavi leads La Liga in assists with sixteen over the course of the season. And often, when he’s not the player who provides the pass immediately before a goal, he’s still responsible for the end result as his ability to help his team create possession is crucial to Barcelona’s playing style.
There’s more, of course. Success in one arena doesn’t necessarily make you the greatest player in the world. At this time last year, Xavi was getting ready to represent Spain in the Euros; we all remember David Villa’s four goals, but we forget about Xavi’s passing. Still, Spain did what Barcelona do, with Xavi still at the engine: they maintained possession, passed well, and took the chances that came to them. Xavi finished the tournament with a 90% pass completion rate, second only to William Gallas, with 92%. Gallas, though, only attempted 111 passes; Xavi more than tripled that amount without a decrease in efficiency. On top of that, he was the player that Spain most often passed the ball to in the tournament; when a defender got the ball, all they had to do was look for Xavi. That’s why he was named the Player of the Tournament, over Ronaldo (who didn’t make anyone on his team better).
I think that Ronaldo and Messi are both fantastic players, don’t get me wrong; I’d love to have either of them on my team. At the end of the day, though, Xavi’s the player who should be making us stand up and take note of the best player in the world; without him, the Barcelona engine doesn’t move forward and the best team in the world doesn’t win. He’s simply that good.
Agreed. That ball to Messi’s head was perfection. Xavi was brilliant. Add to that Puyol harassing everyone in a white shirt and it was a pleasure to watch.
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