You watch the game, you don’t see Busquets. But if you watch Busquets, you’ll see the whole game.
That was said by former Spain national team manager Vicente del Bosque about Sergio Busquets, the latest European star coming to Major League Soccer.
Inter Miami announced the signing of the Spaniard on Friday, who is joining Lionel Messi as a free transfer from Barcelona.
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Busquets, who turns 35 in June, is widely considered one of the best defensive midfielders of all time. His playstyle is that of a true "regista" -- the Italian word for "director." A proper regista sits back and controls the tempo of the game. They don't shine on the stat sheet, but their play allows others to do so.
The Sabadell, Spain native started his youth career with Badia in 1995 before joining Barcelona's youth sides in 2005. He made his senior debut for the Catalan club in 2008 and appeared in 722 total games across 15 seasons.
In that span, he helped Barcelona win nine La Liga titles, seven Copa del Reys and three UEFA Champions Leagues, among other team accolades.
For the Spain national side, he played a pivotal role on the winning squads of the 2010 World Cup and 2012 Euros. He was named on the 2010 World Cup All-Star Team and the 2012 European Championship Team of the Tournament. He retired from the international team after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which he was a part of.
Busquets reportedly drew offers from Saudi Pro League clubs, but he declined in order to try out MLS and reunite with Messi. The duo played together for 13 years until Messi went to Paris Saint-Germain in France in 2021.
Together, they won eight league titles, six Copa del Reys and three Champions Leagues.
Former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba reportedly could also join the two in Miami as the free agent left back currently is in negotiations with the club.
