Although he was initially inspired by compatriot playmaker Pep Guardiola at Barcelona,[20] as a child Xavi also watched a lot of English football, and looked up to midfielders John Barnes, Paul Gascoigne and Matt Le Tissier.

[21] Xavi's progression through the teams earned him a first-team appearance in a Copa Catalunya match against Lleida on 5 May 1998[22] and he scored his first goal on 18 August 1998 in the 1998 Supercopa de España against Mallorca.

Initially featuring intermittently both for the reserve and senior teams, Xavi scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Real Valladolid when Barcelona were in tenth position in the league.

Sustained impressive performances meant that he became a key member of Louis van Gaal's title-winning team, finishing his debut season with 26 matches played and being named 1999 La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year.

[26] In the 2005–06 season, Xavi tore the ligaments in his left knee in training; he was out of action for four months but returned in April and was on the substitutes bench for Barcelona's win in the 2006 Champions League Final against Arsenal.

After being named Player of the Tournament at Euro 2008, Xavi spoke to Bayern Munich about a transfer, but newly appointed Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola convinced him that he was too important to the club to be allowed to leave.

[28] He was a main part of Barcelona's treble and scored the fourth goal in the 4–1 win in the 2009 Copa del Rey Final against Athletic Bilbao, with a free kick.

In La Liga, one of his most significant games was the 6–2 Clásico victory over Real Madrid on 2 May; he assisted four goals – once to Carles Puyol, once to Thierry Henry and twice to Lionel Messi.

In the Champions League, Xavi scored a valuable goal with an assist from David Villa in a home win against Arsenal, that saw Barcelona progress to the quarter-finals.

[44] On 28 May, Xavi was imperious in the 2011 UEFA Champions League Final at Wembley Stadium in London as Barcelona defeated Manchester United in the showpiece for the second time in three seasons, winning 3–1.

[26] Xavi began the 2011–12 season in fine goalscoring form and seemed to grow in his influence of the team despite the long-anticipated return of Cesc Fàbregas and the promotion of Thiago to create added competition for places in Barça's attacking midfield positions.

On 18 December, in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup Final in Yokohama, Barcelona won 4–0 against Brazilian side Santos as Xavi scored a goal and made an assist to Lionel Messi.

[45] Xavi scored the winning goal in the Group H game against A.C. Milan, a vital match for Barcelona's progression in the Champions League knockout stage.

In total, Xavi had the best goalscoring return of his career in 2011–12 season with ten Liga goals, two in the Copa del Rey – which Barcelona won – and one in the Club World Cup final win.

[47] Barcelona had virtually secured their La Liga title by the start of 2013, eventually equalling Real Madrid's 100-point record of the previous season.

[53][54][55] On 22 July, however, after talks with newly appointed manager and former teammate Luis Enrique, Xavi decided to stay at Camp Nou for one more season.

[75] Xavi was dominant in midfield, where his passing and reading of the game was pivotal to Spain's success, as he led his nation to their first silverware since the 1964 European Championship.

[14] Spain's UEFA Euro 2012 victory made Xavi the most decorated player in Spanish football history, a status that he previously shared with Carles Puyol, who missed the tournament.

[14] On 5 August 2014, following the 2014 World Cup where Spain were eliminated at the group stage, Xavi announced his retirement from international football, having made 133 appearances in a 14-year period.

[98][99][100] In his first game in charge, Barcelona defeated local rival Espanyol by a 1–0 scoreline at the Camp Nou in La Liga to win his first Catalan Derby as manager.

After drawing 0–0 with Benfica at the Camp Nou on 23 November and losing 3–0 to Bayern Munich on 8 December at the Allianz Arena, Barcelona finished third in the group stage which put them in the Europa League knockout round play-offs.

[106] In the winter transfer window, Barcelona strengthened their attack with the signings of Ferran Torres and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traoré on loan.

The team entered a 14-match unbeaten streak starting with a 0–1 victory over Alavés in La Liga, during this run they scored four goals in 6 out of 11 matches and also qualified for the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

[107][108] On 14 April, Xavi and his men who were on the verge of a monumental comeback, were knocked out of the UEL quarter-finals by Eintracht Frankfurt, bringing their fifteen-game unbeaten run to an end.

[115] A string of disappointing results across December and January, including 4–1 and 4–2 cup losses to Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao respectively, led to increased pressure and scrutiny on Xavi.

During the post-match press conference, Xavi expressed that the red card given to Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo by the Romanian referee was a pivotal moment that significantly influenced the outcome of the game.

"[126] A composed and technically skilled player with a slender physique and a low centre of gravity, these characteristics compensated for his lack of pace or physicality.

Although he was not known for his tackling ability, or for being prolific in front of goal,[83] Xavi's outstanding vision, accurate passing,[131] superb reading of the game, and positioning allowed him to create chances for teammates and maintain high possession of the ball.

[146] In November 2014, Xavi appeared in FIFA's "11 against Ebola" campaign with a selection of top football players from around the world, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Gareth Bale and Didier Drogba.

[147] Under the slogan "Together, we can beat Ebola", FIFA's campaign was done in conjunction with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and health experts, with the players holding up 11 messages to raise awareness of the disease and ways to combat it.