Iniesta to be awarded the highest honour in Spanish sport

Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta is set to be awarded the highest honour in Spanish sport, the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Sports Merit.

The award aims to recognise ‘distinguished service in sport’ and has previously been awarded to Iniesta’s former Spanish team-mates Iker Casillas and Xavi Hernandez.

Iniesta has been awarded the honour a week after revealing he will be leaving the Nou Camp after 22 years this summer.

Iniesta has spent all of his senior career at Barcelona and is their most decorated player ever along with Lionel Messi, having lifted 32 trophies.

There were tears as he thanked his team-mates who packed the press room to watch him say goodbye last week. Only Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez of the first team regulars were absent.

There has been no confirmation of his move to China at the end of the season but he did confirm that he would not be opting for a Premier League swansong despite interest from Manchester City and his former manager Pep Guardiola.

Iniesta is celebrating another La Liga and Copa del Rey double this campaign and has his final El Clasico to prepare for on Sunday night as Barca close in on an unbeaten domestic season.

If they can achieve the incredible feat and not lose a single one of their 38 games, they would be just the eighth team in European history and first in Spain since 1932 to do so.

They will have to avoid defeat by Real Madrid at the Nou Camp this Sunday before they face Villarreal, Levante and Real Sociedad in their final three games.