Football Football Iniesta, Xavi only Spaniards at Ballon d'Or level – Fabregas Andres Iniesta's Barcelona career appears to be drawing to a close and former team-mate Cesc Fabregas offered a glowing tribute. Ryan Benson 27 April, 2018 15:42 IST Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta - Getty Images Ryan Benson 27 April, 2018 15:42 IST Cesc Fabregas paid tribute to Andres Iniesta ahead of his expected Barcelona exit announcement, saying he and former team-mate Xavi are the only Spaniards who could have justifiably won the Ballon d'Or. After weeks of speculation about his future, Iniesta will hold a news conference on Friday in which he is expected to reveal his imminent departure from the Catalan giants. Although he signed a new "lifetime" contract in October, Iniesta has long been linked with a move away from Barca and is said to be closing in on a switch to Chongqing Lifan of the Chinese Super League. While some have criticised such Iniesta's apparent decision to move to a lesser league, Chelsea star Fabregas – who has played alongside the 33-year-old for Barca and Spain – does not think it will tarnish his legacy. Speaking on COPE's El Partidazo show, Fabregas said: "Whatever he decides, Andres Iniesta was a great football player. "When we won the World Cup, Iniesta played very well. Along with Xavi, Andres is the only Spaniard who could have won a Ballon d'Or." Read more stories on Football. For more updates, follow Sportstar on :