The World Cup could be the last time we see Xavi at the highest level – for both club and country

1 Xavi Hernandez has a point to prove this summer, not only for Spain, but for Barcelona

Tournaments are particularly important for Xavi Hernandez.

An outstanding display in the heart of Spain’s midfield at Euro 2008 marked a before and after for the Catalan, changing him from an undervalued and under-appreciated member of the Barcelona squad to the heartbeat around which a treble-winning side was constructed by Pep Guardiola.

The summer of 2010, meanwhile, saw him orchestrate Spain’s first World Cup win and resulted in the Catalan earning a place on the Ballon d’Or podium – an award many felt he should have won.

Two years later in Kiev, his masterful showing in La Roja’s 4-0 European Championship final victory over Italy put to bed any suggestions that he had somehow been overshadowed by Andrea Pirlo – the Juventus man left chasing shadows throughout by the Barcelona midfielder – who had lined up directly opposite him on the pitch.

With the 2014 World Cup approaching – a tournament that may be his last appearance at the highest level for both club and country – the Spain midfielder once again has something to prove.

For the first time in a long time, perhaps since 2008, Xavi is being questioned. Unlike the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, the Terrassa native doesn’t approach this summer’s tournament with an impressive string of recent league and Champions League wins under his belt.

On the contrary, Barcelona have just finished their worst club season since the one that preceded Spain’s European Championship victory under Luis Aragones, and with six years more of unrelenting playing time weighing down on his ageing legs, confidence in the playmaker is waning.

Physically, Xavi has changed. Though never the quickest of players, he has lost half a yard of pace as well as some of the bite off the ball that Pep Guardiola drilled into him, no longer winning possession back as frequently as before.

The physical side of football may not be the focal point of his game, but when combined with a collective lessening of Barcelona’s organisation as a team – the movement off the ball is less refined, less fluid, and most importantly, less trained – the midfielder has looked uncomfortable over the course of the last year or so with his club.

The chicken or the egg theory applies here. What came first: Xavi’s physical decline or Barcelona’s decline as a unit? It’s a difficult question to answer, but what is certain is that the unavoidable requirement for the midfielder to adapt his game to the natural process of ageing hasn’t been helped by the fact that his team has become disjointed, anarchic, and one-paced.

Barcelona no longer play to the strengths of the player that was once their pulse: in an image that sums up the best way not to use Xavi’s qualities, it wasn’t uncommon to see the ball sailing over his head from area to area last season.

Vicente del Bosque’s undying loyalty to the core group of Spain players means the midfielder is likely to be in the first eleven come Friday evening regardless of a difficult club season.

The manager’s confidence isn’t universally shared however. There have been calls from some sectors for the veteran playmaker to be replaced by the younger, more mobile Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, while there are genuine fears among respected analysts that the greatest Spanish midfielder of all time could be embarrassed by a laboured showing in Brazil. Respect for Xavi means they aren’t necessarily always voiced publicly, but the fears exist.

As a man who has accumulated plenty of friends in the media over the years, Xavi knows all of this, of course, and is also acutely aware that this is undoubtedly his last World Cup, leaving a positive impression is important. Not only for the lasting memory of his time as a Spain player, but also for his more immediate future at club level.

Cesc Fabregas won’t be the only victim of Barcelona’s rebuilding process this summer, and as a seemingly incompetent sporting director and spineless board look to manage a change that appears to be beyond their abilities and understanding, not even the biggest names are safe.

New manager Luis Enrique – a former team-mate of Xavi’s at the Camp Nou – has been crystal clear in most of his statements since taking the helm of the club, yet one of the few exceptions has been the fate of his friend. ‘We’ll have to sit down and talk,’ was about as much detail as the coach was willing to provide in his only press conference as Barca manager to date.

The general feeling is that in the eyes of the club, Xavi is more ‘out’ of Barcelona than he is ‘in’, but the headstrong midfielder believes he has more to offer at the top, and as a result has yet to accept a lucrative offer to play in the US.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to presume that the Catalan knows a strong display this summer would send a message back to the Camp Nou, perhaps even one that could swing Luis Enrique’s thinking in the other direction. That extra motivation may be good news for Spain, and even better news for Barcelona.

The Blaugrana could do with some assistance in their much-postponed transition towards a team built on a new generation of players. Being able to call upon the footballer who understands their way of playing better than anyone else would be a luxury the club couldn’t afford to turn down, but only if he demonstrates that he can still perform at the highest level.

His vision of the game may be unrivalled, but in Brazil, all eyes are on the man in perpetual motion, waiting for him to make his move.

Where does Xavi rank among the great midfielders? Let us know below…