Cesc Fàbregas - Wikipedia Cesc Fàbregas This name uses Spanish naming customs : the first or paternal family name is Fàbregas and the second or maternal family name is Soler. Cesc Fàbregas Fàbregas playing for Chelsea in 2015 Full name Francesc Fàbregas Soler Date of birth ( 1987 - 05 - 04 ) 4 May 1987 ( age 31 ) Place of birth Arenys de Mar, Spain Height 1.80 m ( 5 ft 11 in ) Playing position Midfielder Club information Current team Chelsea Number Youth career 1995 -- 1997 Mataró 1997 -- 2003 Barcelona 2003 Arsenal Senior career * Years Team Apps ( Gls ) 2003 -- 2011 Arsenal 212 ( 35 ) 2011 -- 2014 Barcelona 96 ( 28 ) 2014 -- Chelsea 132 ( 15 ) National team 2002 -- 2003 Spain U16 8 ( 0 ) 2003 -- 2004 Spain U17 14 ( 7 ) 2005 Spain U20 5 ( 0 ) 2004 -- 2005 Spain U21 12 ( 8 ) 2006 -- Spain 110 ( 15 ) 2004 -- Catalonia ( 0 ) Honours FIFA World Cup Winner UEFA European Championship Winner 2008 Winner 2012 UEFA European Under - 17 Championship Runner - up * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 : 20, 10 May 2018 ( UTC ) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19 : 07, 27 August 2017 ( UTC ) Francesc `` Cesc '' Fàbregas Soler ( Catalan pronunciation : ( ˈsɛsk ˈfaβɾəɣəs ), Spanish : ( ˈfaβɾeɣas ) ; born 4 May 1987 ) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Chelsea and the Spain national team. Fàbregas came through La Masia, Barcelona 's youth academy, leaving at 16 when he was signed by Premier League club Arsenal in September 2003. Following injuries to key midfielders in the early part of the 2004 -- 05 season, he went on establish himself in the team. He broke several of the club 's records in the process, earning a reputation as one of the best players in his position, and won the FA Cup in 2005. After a protracted transfer saga, Fàbregas left London on 15 August 2011 to return to Barcelona in a deal worth up to £ 35 million. During his three - year spell at the Camp Nou, Fàbregas played alongside Xavi and Andrés Iniesta and won a La Liga title, the Copa del Rey, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and two Spanish Super Cups. He returned to London in June 2014 to Arsenal 's cross-town rivals Chelsea for a fee of £ 30 million, and in his first year there he helped to secure League Cup and Premier League triumphs. Internationally, Fàbregas made his debut for the Spanish national team in March 2006. He represented his country in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012, 2013 Confederations Cup, the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016. He was a key figure in Spain 's European Championship victories in 2008 and 2012 and their 2010 World Cup triumph in which he supplied the pass for Andrés Iniesta 's winning goal in the final. On 12 October 2015, Fàbregas earned his 100th cap for Spain. Contents 1 Early years 2 Club career 2.1 Arsenal 2.1. 1 Adapting to England 2.1. 2 Making the starting eleven 2.1. 3 Captaincy 2.2 Barcelona 2.2. 1 2011 -- 12 season 2.2. 2 2012 -- 13 season 2.2. 3 2013 -- 14 season 2.3 Chelsea 2.3. 1 2014 -- 15 season 2.3. 2 2015 -- 16 season 2.3. 3 2016 -- 17 season 3 International career 3.1 Youth team 3.2 Senior team 3.2. 1 2006 World Cup 3.2. 2 UEFA Euro 2008 3.2. 3 2009 Confederations Cup 3.2. 4 2010 World Cup 3.2. 5 UEFA Euro 2012 3.2. 6 2013 Confederations Cup 3.2. 7 2014 World Cup 3.2. 8 UEFA Euro 2016 3.2. 9 World Cup 2018 4 Style of play 4.1 Arsenal and Chelsea 4.2 Barcelona and Spain 5 Outside football 5.1 Personal life 5.2 Sponsorship 5.3 Other projects 5.4 Punditry 6 Career statistics 6.1 Club 6.2 International 6.2. 1 International goals 7 Honours 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links Early years Born in Arenys de Mar, Barcelona, Catalonia, to Francesc Fàbregas Sr., who runs a property company, and Núria Soler, the owner of a pastry company, Fàbregas has supported FC Barcelona since childhood and went to his first match when he was nine months old with his grandfather. He began his club football career with CE Mataró before being signed for Barcelona 's La Masia youth academy aged ten in 1997. His first coach, Señor Blai, reportedly did not select Fàbregas for matches against Barcelona in an attempt to hide him from their scouts. This tactic, however, was unable to withstand Barcelona for long, and Mataró gave in and allowed Fàbregas to train with Barcelona one day per week. Eventually Fàbregas joined Barcelona 's academy full - time. His initial training was as a defensive midfielder playing alongside notable names such as Gerard Piqué and Lionel Messi. Although he was a prolific scorer, sometimes scoring even more than 30 goals in a season for the club 's youth teams, he did not manage to play a first team game at the Camp Nou. During his time at Barcelona 's youth academy, Fàbregas idolised Barcelona 's then - captain and number four Pep Guardiola, who would later give Fàbregas his shirt as consolation when Fàbregas ' parents divorced. Club career Arsenal Adapting to England Fàbregas ( left ) in a game against Sheffield United in 2006 Sensing that he would have limited opportunities at Barcelona, Fàbregas joined Premier League club Arsenal in their Academy, signing for the London club on 11 September 2003. Initially, he found life difficult in England 's capital but soon struck a friendship with Spanish - speaking teammate Philippe Senderos, who helped him settle down. As a 16 - year - old, Fàbregas did not contemplate breaking into the first team immediately but looked up to senior players like Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva, while concentrating on training and learning the English language. He nevertheless made his debut for Arsenal not long after, on 28 October 2003, in a League Cup tie at home to Rotherham United. In doing so, he became Arsenal 's youngest - ever first team player, aged 16 years and 177 days. He then became the youngest goalscorer in Arsenal 's history in a later round of the League Cup, scoring in a 5 -- 1 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Although Arsenal went on to win the league unbeaten in the 2003 -- 04 season, Fàbregas was not awarded a winner 's medal because he did not play a single league game. It was not until the start of the 2004 -- 05 season that the Spaniard started making first team appearances in matches outside the League Cup. His first match of the season was against Manchester United in the FA Community Shield. Following an injury to Vieira, Fàbregas stepped in and made four consecutive Premier League starts. He was praised for his performances in those games, even claiming a goal against Blackburn Rovers in a 3 -- 0 victory, and becoming Arsenal 's youngest - ever goalscorer in a league game. With further injuries to Edu and Gilberto Silva, he received more playing time in all competitions. He signed his first professional contract with Arsenal in September 2004, which committed his long - term future to the club. In October 2004, Arsenal lost 2 -- 0 to Manchester United, ending their 49 - match unbeaten run in the Premier League. The match was dubbed the `` Battle of the Buffet '' after pizza was thrown at Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson at the end of the match in the players ' tunnel by a then - unknown Arsenal player. Speculation that the player was Fàbregas was confirmed in November 2011 by former Arsenal player Martin Keown on a phone - in show on BBC Radio 5 Live. In the 2004 -- 05 UEFA Champions League, he became the second - youngest goalscorer in the competition 's history after scoring the third goal against Rosenborg in a 5 -- 1 win. He concluded his season by winning his first honours with Arsenal when he was in the starting eleven that defeated Manchester United on penalties in the 2005 FA Cup Final. Making the starting eleven After the departure of Patrick Vieira to Juventus, Fàbregas was given the Frenchman 's number 4 shirt and featured regularly in the Arsenal central midfield alongside Gilberto Silva. He made 49 appearances in all competitions during the 2005 -- 06 season. Despite his young age, his performances came under greater scrutiny due to his increased involvement in the first team. Further, as Fàbregas possessed a smaller frame and played with less aggression than Vieira, there were initially doubts over his ability to fill in the void left by the Frenchman. Nevertheless, Fàbregas asserted his own style of play and impressed pundits in the Champions League against Real Madrid and Juventus. In the latter, he scored Arsenal 's first goal and set up Thierry Henry for the second, at the same time proving that he could compete against tough, hard - tackling midfielders like Vieira. He then played in the Final against his former club Barcelona, but Arsenal were defeated 2 -- 1, completing a trophyless 2005 -- 06 campaign for Arsenal. Fàbregas celebrates a goal with his Arsenal teammates Fàbregas ' increase in exposure drew transfer speculation during the summer ; Real Madrid expressed a desire to sign the Spaniard despite his long - term contract with Arsenal, but Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger stated that Arsenal would not listen to any offers. In September 2006, with six years left on his deal, Arsenal offered a new five - year deal ( with an option to extend by a further three years ) to the midfielder, which he signed on 19 October 2006. While the contract was unusually long, Fàbregas cited Arsenal 's playing style and Wenger as reasons for his long - term commitment to the club. Fàbregas was appointed captain of the team during the 2008 -- 09 season The 2006 -- 07 season was a learning experience for the young Arsenal squad and Fàbregas. The club again failed to secure any major honours and were defeated by city rivals Chelsea in the League Cup Final. Fàbregas, however, emerged as one of the key creative players for the team, playing in every single league game. He kick - started Arsenal 's 2006 -- 07 UEFA Champions League campaign when he scored a brace in a 3 -- 0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in a qualifier match. In the Premier League, he notched up 13 assists, which was the second - highest total in the league. He ended the season with several individual honours, including the Golden Boy award, presented by the Italian paper TuttoSport, based on a poll of leading writers across Europe. He was also named in the 2006 UEFA Team of the Year, and named FA Premier League Player of the Month for January 2007. Additionally, he was nominated for both PFA Players ' Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year, although both awards went to Manchester United 's Cristiano Ronaldo. In June 2007, he was named Arsenal 's Player of the Season, taking in 60 % of the votes. The 2007 -- 08 season began with much uncertainty for Arsenal. First, David Dein, the club 's vice-chairman, left amidst allegations of internal strife, followed by the departure of the club 's all - time top goalscorer and captain, Thierry Henry, who signed for Barcelona. There was also speculation over Wenger 's future with the club. Fàbregas knew that he would become the most important player for Arsenal, but stated he was ready for the challenge. He started the season well, chalking up goals and assists, and website soccernet attributed the early success of Arsenal to the young Spaniard. His start to the season also earned him the O Player of the Month award from Arsenal fans for August, September and October, as well as the Premier League Player of the Month for September. With Arsenal leading the league table until March, Fàbregas was equally instrumental in the club 's 2007 -- 08 Champions League campaign ; in the return leg against Milan, the midfielder scored late in the game to send Arsenal into the quarter - finals. Though Arsenal ended the season trophyless, Fàbregas amassed several personal awards. On 11 April 2008, Fàbregas was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards for the second year running ; he was later crowned the winner of the latter, and named in the PFA Team of the Year. He was also named the 2007 -- 08 Arsenal.com Player of the Season. Captaincy Fàbregas as captain during the 2008 -- 09 Champions League semi-final On 24 November 2008, 14 league games into the 2008 -- 09 season, Fàbregas was named as the successor to William Gallas as club captain. However, just as Arsenal were getting back into the title race after a poor start to the season, the Spaniard was ruled out for four months after sustaining a knee injury against Liverpool. The Gunners eventually finished the season without any silverware, coming in fourth in the league and being knocked out at the semi-finals of the 2008 -- 09 Champions League campaign. In tandem with Arsenal 's policy to groom its young players, the team that Fàbregas led into the new season consisted mostly of the same young nucleus as before, with the likes of Nicklas Bendtner, Gaël Clichy, Abou Diaby, Denílson, Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Theo Walcott in tow. Fàbregas in a game against rivals Tottenham in November 2010 In the opening league game of 2009 -- 10 season, Fàbregas scored a brace and managed two assists in Arsenal 's 6 -- 1 away win against Everton. Arsenal went on to secure qualification for the 2009 -- 10 Champions League campaign by beating Celtic over two legs, but their early momentum to the season was disrupted by consecutive league game losses to Manchester United and Manchester City. The team bounced back strongly after this setback, and with Fàbregas being prolific in scoring and setting up his teammates, it went unbeaten in the next 13 games. Despite suffering four league losses even before mid-season approached, Arsenal managed to lead the league standings after 22 games. On 31 March 2010, in the Champions League first leg of the quarter - final against Barcelona, Fàbregas suffered a leg fracture before scoring the equalising goal in the game which ended 2 -- 2. Arsenal, who were four points behind league leaders Manchester United, were deprived of their captain for the remaining six league games of the season ; they were subsequently eliminated by Barcelona in the Champions League, and fell out of the league title race. Fàbregas was later named to the PFA Team of the Year. Fàbregas tries to subdue an argument between Sergio Busquets and Robin van Persie. Before the start of the 2010 -- 11 season, there was once again intense media speculation about the Spaniard 's future, and in June 2010, a € 35 million bid from Barcelona was rejected. The 2010 -- 11 season turned out to be an extremely competitive one in the Premier League ; even though Arsenal had lost five games before mid-season, they were jostling for pole position with Manchester United and Manchester City. Going into late February, Arsenal were still in contention for the quadruple, but within a span of two weeks they lost in the League Cup final, were eliminated by Barcelona in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, and defeated in the FA Cup quarter - final. Although Fàbregas did not play in the League Cup Final, it was his misplaced backheel pass during the second leg of the Champions League game against Barcelona that allowed them to level the aggregate score. Arsenal remained in contention for the league title until a series of draws in the final third of the season caused them to fall too far behind league leaders Manchester United ; they ended the season fourth. The following season was once again marked by uncertainty. Barcelona made several bids for Fàbregas, while Nasri, Arsenal 's star performer the previous campaign, was courted by Manchester City. Barcelona 2011 -- 12 season Fàbregas during his presentation to Barcelona On 15 August 2011, Barcelona signed Fàbregas for an initial fee of € 29 million with a further € 5 million in variables, plus Fàbregas would pay Arsenal € 1 million a year from his wage for five years. ending one of the most protracted transfer sagas in recent times. Statistics show that in the five years prior to Fàbregas 's departure from Arsenal, Fàbregas created 466 goal - scoring chances, made 86 assists and scored 48 goals, all three statistics topping those of new teammates Xavi and Andrés Iniesta, despite both having made more appearances in the same period. Fàbregas joined a team that had won three La Liga titles in a row and two Champions League titles in three years, and one that featured the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta and David Villa. He made his debut in the second leg of the Supercopa de España, coming on as a substitute against Real Madrid. Barcelona won the tie 3 -- 2 and 5 -- 4 on aggregate. He scored his first goal in a 2 -- 0 win against Porto as Barcelona won the 2011 UEFA Super Cup, and his first league goal on his league debut against Villarreal. He went on to score three more league goals in the month of September, including a late equaliser in the 2 -- 2 away draw to Valencia. Fàbregas then spent the majority of October sidelined with a hamstring injury picked up on international duty. He made his return, and scored, in a 4 -- 0 away victory to Viktoria Plzeň in the Champions League. He then made his league return in the 2 -- 2 draw away to Athletic Bilbao, scoring a goal in the same match. Fàbregas then went on to score a brace in a 5 -- 0 home victory against Levante before netting in a 3 -- 1 away victory against Real Madrid. Fàbregas later scored against Brazilian club Santos to help Barcelona to a 4 -- 0 victory in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup final. Fàbregas got another brace in a 4 -- 0 victory against Osasuna in the Copa del Rey. He also scored in the semi-final of the competition against Valencia to help Barcelona to the final with a 3 -- 1 win on aggregate. He kept a regular run in the Barcelona side for the rest of the season, including appearances in both semi-final legs of the 3 -- 2 aggregate defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League, and a substitute appearance in the 3 -- 0 victory against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final. Fàbregas ended his first season at Barcelona by winning the 2011 -- 12 Copa del Rey, 2011 Supercopa de España, 2011 UEFA Super Cup and the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, notching 15 goals and 20 assists in 48 appearances and four best midfielder awards. 2012 -- 13 season Fàbregas ended his long goal drought for his club when he scored his first league goals of the season with a brace against Sevilla in a 3 -- 2 away victory. He then scored three goals in October, coming in the league, Champions League and the Copa del Rey. He scored again on 25 November in a 4 -- 0 win away to Levante. On 13 January 2013, Fàbregas scored in a 3 -- 1 win away to Málaga. Fàbregas scored his first hat - trick of his career against Mallorca in a 5 -- 0 victory on 6 April 2013. He ended his second season at Barcelona by winning the first league title of his career, with a record 100 points. Barcelona were eliminated, however, in the semi-finals of both the Copa del Rey, to rivals Real Madrid, and the Champions League, to winners Bayern Munich. Fàbregas ended the season with 14 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances in all competitions. 2013 -- 14 season Barcelona began the season by winning the Supercopa de España. In the opening game of the league season on 18 August, Fàbregas provided five assists in a 7 -- 0 win over Levante. He scored 8 goals in 36 league matches, including braces in away wins over Granada on 10 November and Getafe on 22 December, the latter including a penalty kick. He also scored the only goal of the game on 1 October as Barcelona won away at Celtic in the group stage of the Champions League, heading in Alexis Sánchez 's cross in the 73rd minute. Chelsea This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. ( June 2018 ) Fàbregas in action against Karl Henry of Queens Park Rangers in November 2014 On 12 June 2014, Premier League club Chelsea signed Fàbregas on a five - year contract for a fee in the region of € 33 million. Following his transfer he took the number 4 shirt, previously worn by David Luiz. Fàbregas spoke of his transfer, saying, `` I asked Barcelona to find a way for me to leave the club. The president tried to stop the sale, but I already had my mind made up. '' He went on to say, `` If I did n't think that I 'd be happy at Chelsea, I would 've never made this decision. Above all, I want to be happy both professionally and personally. '' 2014 -- 15 season Fàbregas made his competitive debut for Chelsea on 18 August as the team began their league season away to Burnley ; he played the full 90 minutes of a 3 -- 1 victory, providing two assists. He was a nominee for the Premier League Player of the Month in August 2014, with the accolade going instead to another new Chelsea signing, Diego Costa. On 13 September 2014, after providing two assists in Chelsea 's 4 -- 2 victory over Swansea City, Fàbregas became the first player ever in Premier League history to record at least one assist in six successive games ; four under Chelsea and two under Arsenal during the 2010 -- 11 season. Four days later, he scored his first goal for the club, opening a 1 -- 1 draw at home against Schalke 04 in Chelsea 's first match of the Champions League group stage. His first league goal for Chelsea gave them a 2 -- 1 win at Crystal Palace on 18 October, capping off a 19 - pass move. Fàbregas also completed 123 passes, the most by any player on either side. On 10 December, with Chelsea already through to the knockout stage as group winners, Fàbregas scored an eighth - minute penalty to open a 3 -- 1 Champions League victory over Sporting CP. Twelve days later he scored a second league goal, set up by Eden Hazard and concluding a 2 -- 0 win away to Stoke. Fàbregas was fitted with a protective mask after breaking his nose in a collision with Charlie Adam during the reverse fixture on 4 April. Eight days later, he scored the only goal of the game in the 88th minute in a victory over Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road. On 3 May, the day before his 28th birthday, he won his first Premier League title at the ninth attempt, following a 1 -- 0 home win over Crystal Palace. During the penultimate game of the season, away at The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion, Fàbregas was shown the red card and booed off by fans for deliberately kicking the ball at Chris Brunt 's head while players were speaking to referee Mike Jones. On appeal, the suspension for this red card was cut from three matches to one. 2015 -- 16 season Fàbregas scored his first goal of the season on 16 September, as Chelsea defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 4 -- 0 in the Champions League. He, Costa and Oscar were jeered by the crowd in December after the dismissal of Mourinho, with the supporters believing that the trio 's conduct and poor performances were more culpable for the team 's poor form. His first league goal came in a 3 -- 3 home draw against Everton on 15 January 2016 and his second came in a 2 -- 1 away win against Southampton on 27 February 2016. On 19 March 2016, Fàbregas scored a free - kick as well as a penalty in 2 -- 2 home draw against local rivals West Ham United. Fàbregas scored Chelsea 's last goal of the season after converting a penalty in the 1 -- 1 draw against new Premier League champions, Leicester City. 2016 -- 17 season Fàbregas was linked with a move away from London after he was an unused substitution in the 2016 -- 17 Premier League opener against West Ham. On 20 August 2016, Fàbregas once again started on the bench against Watford, entering the match in the second half to replace Nemanja Matić and creating an assist for Diego Costa, who scored the winner in a 2 -- 1 victory. In the post-match press conference, Fàbregas earned the praise of manager, Conte, for his inspiring performance in the comeback win as well as the attitude he shows during training sessions. Fàbregas 's first two goals of the season came in an EFL Cup tie against Leicester City on 20 September, both coming within two minutes of each other in extra time to win the game 4 -- 2, the victory moving Chelsea on to the Round of 16. After a month long absent due to an injury, Fàbregas played a full 90 minute to for Chelsea u23 against Southampton u23 on 21 November 2016. During the match, he provided two assists to fellow first team player, Michy Batshuayi, and helped earn a 3 -- 2 victory. Fàbregas saw his first league action since September in a game against Manchester City on 3 December 2016. Chelsea were trailing 1 -- 0 when Fàbregas picked out Diego Costa with a long ball into the box. Costa brought the ball down and fired it into the net to equalize. Fàbregas came off the bench against West Bromwich Albion on 11 December 2016 and immediately made an impact on the deadlocked match, finding Diego Costa once again with a long ball that led to the winning goal. On 14 December 2016, Fàbregas led Chelsea to their tenth consecutive league victory with his first league goal of the season, scoring in the 40th minute against Sunderland. In his fifth league start of the season, on 31 December 2016, Fàbregas got his 100th league assist in the 4 -- 2 victory over Stoke City. On 25 February 2017, Fàbregas marked his 300th Premier League appearances with a goal and an assist as Chelsea defeated Swansea City 3 -- 1. In the same match, he also reached 102 assists in the Premier League, equalling Frank Lampard as the league 's second - highest provider of all time. International career Youth team Although he features regularly for the Spain national football team, Fàbregas ' international career began at youth level. At the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Finland, he finished as top scorer of the tournament despite playing in midfield, and was voted Player of the Tournament. Spain finished runners - up in the tournament to Brazil. Fàbregas was next involved in the 2004 UEFA U-17 European Championship, where Spain also finished runners - up. He was named the Golden Player of the tournament by FIFA. Senior team After emerging as one of Arsenal 's key players in only his second season at the club, it did not take long for Fàbregas to be called up to the senior squad. Noting his impressive performances in Arsenal 's 2006 Champions League campaign, Spain coach Luis Aragonés named the teenager in the team for a friendly against Ivory Coast. In that game, Fàbregas became the youngest player capped for Spain in 70 years, beating Sergio Ramos ' record. He received favourable reviews for his début, and was involved in the build - up to Spain 's first goal in the 3 -- 2 victory over the Ivorians. 2006 World Cup On 15 May 2006, Fàbregas was selected for the Spanish 2006 FIFA World Cup squad. During the tournament, he came on as a second - half substitute in Spain 's first two group matches, contributing an assist to striker Fernando Torres in their 3 -- 1 victory against Tunisia. He then started alongside Spain 's reserve players ( including then - Arsenal teammate José Antonio Reyes ) in Spain 's third group match against Saudi Arabia. He earned a starting role in Spain 's first knockout - stage match against France, in place of Marcos Senna, but Spain lost 3 -- 1. Fàbregas also became the youngest player in Spanish football history to participate in a World Cup when he came on as a substitute for Luis García after 77 minutes in the 4 -- 0 victory against Ukraine on 13 June 2006 ; he was then 19 years and 41 days old. He was later nominated for the Gillette Young Player of the World Cup, but Germany 's Lukas Podolski won the award. UEFA Euro 2008 Fàbregas celebrating Spain 's Euro 2008 championship In UEFA Euro 2008, Fàbregas was handed the squad number 10, rather than 18 which he had previously held. Despite featuring mostly as a substitute, the midfielder made a considerable impact in Spain 's campaign. He scored his first international goal in that competition in Spain 's 4 -- 1 win over Russia and also had an assist in that game. Spain won all three of their group games and met Italy in the quarter - finals. In that match, Fàbregas scored the winning penalty in the penalty shoot - out after the teams remained deadlocked 0 -- 0 after extra time. In the semi-finals, Spain defeated Russia 3 -- 0 with Fàbregas providing two assists. The midfielder made the starting eleven in the Final against Germany where Spain prevailed 1 -- 0 ; this was Spain 's first major title since 1964. For his efforts, Fàbregas was named in the Team of the Tournament, a 23 - man squad selected by the UEFA Technical Team. 2009 Confederations Cup After missing out for several months due to his injury, Fàbregas regained his place as a regular in Vicente del Bosque 's squad. In June, he was named in the team for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He scored his second international goal in a 5 -- 0 win against New Zealand in the competition 's group stage. In the semi-finals against the United States ( which Fàbregas started ), Spain suffered a shock 2 -- 0 loss, and its 15 - game winning streak came to an end. 2010 World Cup Fàbregas during the UEFA Euro 2012 Final Fàbregas was selected as a part of del Bosque 's 23 - man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. With del Bosque preferring a starting midfield of Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi and Andrés Iniesta, Fàbregas did not start in any of Spain 's games in the competition. He featured as a substitute in four of their seven matches, in which Spain lost their opening game before winning the next six en route to the final. In the Final itself, Fàbregas set up the extra-time winner for Iniesta to win Spain the World Cup for the first time in their history. UEFA Euro 2012 Fàbregas was selected as a part of del Bosque 's 23 - man squad for UEFA Euro 2012. Fàbregas started in the centre of the front three of a 4 -- 3 -- 3 formation against Italy in Spain 's opening Group C match, essentially acting as a false 9. In the 64th minute he scored the equaliser after Italy had taken the lead in the 61st minute ; the game finished in a 1 -- 1 draw. He then scored his second goal of the tournament in the next group stage match against Ireland, which ended in a 4 -- 0 win to Spain. When Spain faced Portugal in the semi-finals and the game remained scoreless at the end of extra time, Fàbregas scored the winning penalty of the shootout as Spain prevailed 4 -- 2. In the final against Italy, Fàbregas started and provided the assist to David Silva for the game 's opening goal, en route to a 4 -- 0 Spain victory. 2013 Confederations Cup Fàbregas was named in the provisional squad in the lead up to the 2013 Confederations Cup by del Bosque. He made two starts in the competition and one substitute appearance, all during the group stage of the competition, and assisting a goal in Spain 's opening group match against Uruguay, which Spain won 2 -- 1. Spain won all their group matches, only conceding a goal and scoring 15. Spain advanced to the final of the competition for the first time, after a lengthy and difficult semi-final clash in a re-match against their opponents of the European Championship Final of the previous year, Italy. The match ended 0 -- 0 after extra time and Spain won 7 -- 6 in the resulting penalty shoot - out, but were eventually defeated 3 -- 0 in the final by hosts and defending champions Brazil. 2014 World Cup Fàbregas was named in Spain 's 30 - man provisional squad for the World Cup, and was also included in the final list for the tournament. He made his debut in the tournament in the opening 1 -- 5 defeat to the Netherlands, replacing David Silva for the last 12 minutes. With Spain already eliminated, he played 22 minutes of 3 -- 0 win against Australia in the last group game, this time in place of Santi Cazorla. UEFA Euro 2016 On 31 March 2015, Fàbregas captained Spain for the first time, in their 0 -- 2 friendly defeat to the Netherlands at the Amsterdam Arena. He earned his 100th cap on 12 October 2015, becoming the tenth Spaniard to do so, in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Ukraine with Spain already qualified. In his milestone match at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, he won a first - half penalty when fouled by Oleksandr Kucher, but his spot kick was saved by Andriy Pyatov. He started all of Spain 's matches at the finals, being substituted in each of the three group games and playing the entirety of the defeat by Italy in the Round of 16 which ended their participation. World Cup 2018 Fàbregas was not selected for the Spain squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup ( his Chelsea colleagues Pedro, Álvaro Morata and Marcos Alonso were also overlooked after the club 's disappointing season ) ; he instead joined the BBC as a studio analyst for the tournament. Style of play Arsenal and Chelsea Fàbregas and Marouane Chamakh preparing to kick off in 2010. Fàbregas was a regular set - piece taker for Arsenal. Originally brought to Arsenal as a youth to slowly develop via the League Cup, Fàbregas was unexpectedly deployed as Arsenal 's starting central midfielder following injuries to fellow midfielders Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva and Edu during the 2004 -- 05 season. While defensive midfielder Vieira served as his role model and mentor, he styled his game after his childhood hero and compatriot Pep Guardiola, whose shirt number 4 he would inherit in his subsequent move to Barcelona in 2011. Because he was of a different mould from his Arsenal predecessors who played in the same position, this led to criticisms of his lightweight frame and less aggressive style of play, due to his development in the Barcelona Youth Academy, with former teammate Ashley Cole criticising the Spaniard as `` an unproven featherweight '' in his autobiography. However, it did not take long for Fàbregas to become one of the most coveted and celebrated young talents in the game with his success at Arsenal. Functioning mostly as a playmaker and renowned for his passing range, he was described as the general of Arsenal 's first team, bringing vision, creativity, and an innate understanding of timing and space to Arsenal 's intricate passing game, displaying maturity that belied his age. He was the main creative force when he was at Arsenal, as exemplified by his 16 assists in all competitions in the 2006 -- 07 season. Between 2006 -- 07 and 2010 -- 11, Fàbregas created the most chances in the top - division leagues of England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. At Arsenal, Fàbregas also often assumed responsibility for set pieces, taking corners, free kicks and penalties. By his own admission, scoring was a weaker part of his game in his first few seasons at Arsenal ; wasteful finishing also being symptomatic of the larger problem surrounding Arsenal in the 2005 -- 06 and 2006 -- 07 seasons. This changed initially in the 2007 -- 08 season when he scored 11 goals in his first 16 games, and Arsenal manager Wenger claimed that the Spaniard 's previous inability to score was down to a mental state, and even compared the Spaniard to Michel Platini, a French midfielder renowned for scoring. There were also concerns raised over the large number of games Fàbregas was playing for club and country at such a young age, but while he initially avoided long spells on the sidelines, he played significantly fewer games due to injury in his last three seasons with Arsenal. At Chelsea, Fàbregas played a similar playmaking role in midfield, using his technique, ball control, vision, and passing ability to dictate the tempo of his team 's play, while he was supported by defensive midfielders, in order to give him more space and time on the ball. In this deeper creative role, he excelled in Chelsea 's new style of play under Mourinho, where he proved to be an effective assist - provider. Barcelona and Spain Fàbregas playing for Spain at the UEFA Euro 2012 At Barcelona, Fàbregas continued to play a prominent midfield and playmaking role, although he was moved into a more offensive position than that which he had occupied at Arsenal. His new role with Barcelona was comparable to that which he had played with the Spanish national team. He effortlessly fit into Pep Guardiola 's 4 -- 3 -- 3 formation, participating in the midfield 's trademark `` tiki - taka '' patient, attacking, build - up style of play, also associated with the Spanish national squad under Luis Aragonés and Vicente del Bosque. Fàbregas was used in a variety of different roles under Guardiola, scoring several goals and providing many assists. Due to the presence of Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Andrés Iniesta in the three - man midfield, as well as the emerging Thiago, Fàbregas was often employed out of position as a winger, or even as a supporting forward under Guardiola. He regularly performed in the role that Lionel Messi had often occupied during the previous season, functioning as a false - 9 in a 4 -- 6 -- 0 formation ( a role which he would also play for Spain at Euro 2012 under Del Bosque ), whilst Messi would play as a right winger or second forward. Fàbregas was, however, still used in deeper roles on occasion, as an attacking, deep - lying or central playmaking midfielder, in particular under Guardiola 's immediate successors, Tito Vilanova and Gerardo Martino. Outside football Personal life Fàbregas married his long time girlfriend Daniella Semaan in May 2018. Together they have three children, daughters Lia ( born 2013 ), Capri ( born 2015 ), and son Leonardo ( born 2017 ). In July 2013, Fàbregas won a court case over the marital home with Semaan 's ex-husband. Sponsorship In 2011, Fàbregas signed a sponsorship deal with German sportswear and equipment supplier, Puma. He appeared in an advert for the new Puma PowerCat 1.12 in September 2011 and was one of the flagship wearers of Puma 's PowerCat range of football boots. When the PowerCat was succeeded by the evoPower, again Fàbregas was the forefront of Puma 's marketing campaign. In January 2014, the brand launched a C4 evoPower boot, specifically designed for just Fàbregas to wear. Other projects Fàbregas starred in his own one - time only television programme, called `` The Cesc Fàbregas Show : Nike Live '', that aired on 19 May 2008. The programme was sponsored by Nike and was shown on Sky Sports. The show featured Fàbregas in several sketches with then Arsenal teammates like Philippe Senderos and Nicklas Bendtner, as well as coach Arsène Wenger, Fàbregas ' parents and Little Britain star Matt Lucas. Punditry For the 2018 World Cup, Fábregas was a pundit for the BBC 's coverage. He featured alongside Rio Ferdinand, Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker. Career Statistics Club Fàbregas before a match against Newcastle United in January 2008 As of 5 August 2018 Appearances and goals by club, season and competition Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Arsenal 2003 -- 04 Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2004 -- 05 Premier League 33 6 0 0 5 0 46 2005 -- 06 Premier League 35 0 0 0 13 50 5 2006 -- 07 Premier League 38 0 0 10 -- 54 2007 -- 08 Premier League 32 7 0 0 10 6 -- 45 13 2008 -- 09 Premier League 22 0 0 0 10 0 -- 33 2009 -- 10 Premier League 27 15 0 0 0 8 -- 36 19 2010 -- 11 Premier League 25 5 -- 36 9 Total 212 35 14 14 61 17 303 57 Barcelona 2011 -- 12 La Liga 28 9 8 -- 9 48 15 2012 -- 13 La Liga 32 11 7 -- 8 0 48 14 2013 -- 14 La Liga 36 8 8 -- 9 0 55 13 Total 96 28 23 9 -- 26 6 151 42 Chelsea 2014 -- 15 Premier League 34 0 0 8 -- 47 5 2015 -- 16 Premier League 37 5 0 0 0 7 0 49 6 2016 -- 17 Premier League 29 5 6 0 -- -- 37 7 2017 -- 18 Premier League 32 0 0 8 0 49 2018 -- 19 Premier League 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 132 15 15 0 10 23 0 183 21 Career total 440 78 52 11 24 110 24 11 637 120 ^ Jump up to : All appearances in UEFA Champions League ^ Jump up to : Appearance in FA Community Shield Jump up ^ One appearance and one goal in UEFA Super Cup, one appearance in Supercopa de España, one appearance and one goal in FIFA Club World Cup ^ Jump up to : Appearances in Supercopa de España Jump up ^ All Appearances in UEFA Europa League International As of 27 June 2016 Appearances and goals by national team and year National team Year Apps Goals Spain national team 2006 14 0 2007 8 0 2008 15 2009 10 11 2011 2012 13 2013 11 2014 8 0 2015 7 2016 9 Total 110 15 International goals As of 27 June 2016 Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Fábregas goal. International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition 10 June 2008 Tivoli - Neu, Innsbruck, Austria 27 Russia 4 -- 1 4 -- 1 UEFA Euro 2008 14 June 2009 Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Phokeng, South Africa 39 New Zealand 4 -- 0 5 -- 0 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup 9 September 2009 Estadio Romano, Mérida, Spain 44 Estonia 1 -- 0 3 -- 0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 10 October 2009 Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia 45 Armenia 1 -- 0 2 -- 1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification 5 18 November 2009 Ernst - Happel - Stadion, Vienna, Austria 47 Austria 1 -- 1 5 -- 1 Friendly 6 8 June 2010 Estadio de La Condomina, Murcia, Spain 50 Poland 4 -- 0 6 -- 0 Friendly 7 2 September 2011 AFG Arena, St. Gallen, Switzerland 59 Chile 2 -- 2 3 -- 2 Friendly 8 3 -- 2 9 10 June 2012 Stadion Energa Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland 64 Italy 1 -- 1 1 -- 1 UEFA Euro 2012 10 14 June 2012 Stadion Energa Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland 65 Republic of Ireland 4 -- 0 4 -- 0 UEFA Euro 2012 11 15 August 2012 Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamón, Puerto Rico 70 Puerto Rico 2 -- 0 2 -- 1 Friendly 12 6 February 2013 Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar 76 Uruguay 1 -- 0 3 -- 1 Friendly 13 8 June 2013 Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL, USA 79 Haiti 2 -- 0 2 -- 1 Friendly 14 11 June 2015 Estadio Reino de León, Castile and León, Spain 96 Costa Rica 2 -- 1 2 -- 1 Friendly 15 1 June 2016 Red Bull Arena, Salzburg, Austria 105 South Korea 2 -- 0 6 -- 1 Friendly Honours Fàbregas ( centre ) in 2011 with Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero ( left ) and British Prime Minister David Cameron Arsenal FA Cup : 2004 -- 05 FA Community Shield : 2004 UEFA Champions League runner - up : 2005 -- 06 Barcelona La Liga : 2012 -- 13 Copa del Rey : 2011 -- 12 Supercopa de España : 2011, 2013 UEFA Super Cup : 2011 FIFA Club World Cup : 2011 Chelsea Premier League : 2014 -- 15, 2016 -- 17 FA Cup : 2017 -- 18 Football League Cup : 2014 -- 15 Spain FIFA World Cup : 2010 UEFA European Championship : 2008, 2012 Individual FIFA U-17 World Championship Golden Ball : 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship Golden Shoe : 2003 UEFA European Under - 17 Football Championship Golden Player : 2004 Bravo Award : 2006 Golden Boy : 2006 UEFA Team of the Year : 2006, 2008 Premier League top assist provider : 2006 -- 07, 2007 -- 08, 2014 -- 15 Premier League Player of the Month : January 2007, September 2007 Arsenal Player of the Season : 2006 -- 07, 2007 -- 08 PFA Young Player of the Year : 2007 -- 08 PFA Team of the Year : 2007 -- 08 Premier League, 2009 -- 10 Premier League ESM Team of the Year : 2007 -- 08, 2009 -- 10, 2014 -- 15 UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament : 2008, 2012 UEFA European Championship top assist provider : 2008 FIFA FIFPro World XI 5th team : 2014 EFL Cup top assist provider : 2017 -- 18 Decorations Prince of Asturias Awards : 2010 Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit : 2011 See also List of footballers with 100 or more caps Notes Jump up ^ Includes cup competitions such as the FA Cup and Copa del Rey References Jump up ^ `` Updated squads for 2017 / 18 Premier League confirmed ''. 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Jump up ^ Wright, Chris. `` Chelsea 's Cesc Fabregas marries Daniella Semaan before FA Cup final ''. ESPN. Jump up ^ `` They have fame and often fortunes but what of a sportsman 's family ? ''. guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 12 May 2013. Jump up ^ Long, Sam. `` Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas becomes a father for the second time ''. Standard. Jump up ^ `` Cesc Fabregas shares picture with his partner and newborn son ''. Sports Review. Jump up ^ `` Cesc Fabregas wins court battle with girlfriend 's ex-husband over marital home ''. The Daily Telegraph. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2017. Jump up ^ `` Official : Fabregas to wear Puma boots ''. Football Boots. Retrieved 30 September 2011. Jump up ^ `` Yellow Custom PowerCats For Fabregas ''. FootballBoots.co.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2011. Jump up ^ `` PUMA launch special C4 evoPOWER for Fabregas ''. FootballBoots.co.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2014. Jump up ^ NIKELIVE, NikeLiveFabregas.com, accessed 19 April 2008. Jump up ^ `` Cesc Fabregas hammered for shirt on World Cup BBC punditry debut ''. 16 June 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2018. Jump up ^ `` Cesc Fàbregas Premier League Player Profile ''. Premier League official website. Retrieved 10 February 2015. ^ Jump up to : Cesc Fàbregas at Soccerway Jump up ^ `` Cesc Fàbregas ''. National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack - Zimmerman. Jump up ^ `` Barça comeback denies Arsenal ''. UEFA. 18 May 2006. Retrieved 5 July 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Cesc Fàbregas : Overview ''. Premier League. Retrieved 16 April 2018. Jump up ^ McNulty, Phil ( 19 May 2018 ). `` Chelsea 1 -- 0 Manchester United ''. BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 May 2018. Jump up ^ `` 2006 / 07 Season Review ''. Premier League. Retrieved 25 January 2018. Jump up ^ `` 2007 / 08 Season Review ''. Premier League. Retrieved 25 January 2018. Jump up ^ `` 2014 / 15 Season Review ''. Premier League. Retrieved 25 January 2018. Jump up ^ `` Ronaldo named player of the year ''. BBC Sport. 27 April 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2018. Jump up ^ `` Rooney is PFA player of the year ''. BBC Sport. 25 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2018. Jump up ^ `` Die ESM - Topelf der Saison 2014 / 15 -- ein Deutscher ist dabei '' ( in German ). kicker.de. Retrieved 3 August 2015. Jump up ^ `` UEFA EURO 2008 Statistics ''. UEFA. Retrieved 25 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` FIFA FIFPro World XI : the reserve teams -- FIFPro World Players ' Union ''. FIFPro.org. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2017. Jump up ^ `` English Carabao Cup Statistics -- ESPN FC ''. ESPN FC. Retrieved 7 April 2018. Jump up ^ Royal Order of Sporting Merit 2011, mundodeportivo.com, accessed 19 December 2011. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cesc Fàbregas. Wikiquote has quotations related to : Cesc Fàbregas Official website Chelsea F.C. official profile Cesc Fàbregas at BDFutbol National team data at BDFutbol Cesc Fàbregas at Soccerbase 2010 FIFA World Cup profile ( fifa.com ) at the Wayback Machine ( archived 7 December 2010 ) Cesc Fàbregas at National-Football-Teams.com Cesc Fàbregas -- FIFA competition record Cesc Fàbregas -- UEFA competition record Sporting positions Preceded by William Gallas Arsenal captain 2008 -- 2011 Succeeded by Robin van Persie Awards FIFA U-17 World Cup awards Golden Ball 1985 : William 1987 : Osundo 1989 : Will 1991 : Lamptey 1993 : Addo 1995 : Al - Kathiri 1997 : Sergio 1999 : Donovan 2001 : Sinama Pongolle 2003 : Fàbregas 2005 : Anderson 2007 : Kroos 2009 : Emmanuel 2011 : Gómez 2013 : Iheanacho 2015 : Nwakali 2017 : Foden Golden Shoe 1985 : Witeczek 1987 : Traoré 1989 : Camara 1991 : Adriano 1993 : Oruma 1995 : Allsopp 1997 : David 1999 : Addo 2001 : Sinama Pongolle 2003 : Fàbregas 2005 : Vela 2007 : Chrisantus 2009 : González 2011 : Coulibaly 2013 : Berisha 2015 : Osimhen 2017 : Brewster Golden Glove 2009 : Siegrist 2011 : Cubero 2013 : Alampasu 2015 : Diarra 2017 : Brazão UEFA European Under - 17 Championship awards Golden players 2002 : Rooney 2003 : Veloso 2004 : Fàbregas 2005 : Şahin 2006 : Kroos 2007 : Bojan 2008 : Aleksić 2009 : Götze 2010 : Wickham 2011 : Ebecilio 2012 : Meyer 2013 : Mitryushkin 2014 : Bergwijn 2015 : Édouard 2016 : Gomes 2017 : Sancho Top goalscorers 2002 : Soriano 2003 : Rodríguez 2004 : Ben Arfa, Gama, Paul & Pedraza 2005 : Köse 2006 : Fischer, Bojan & Necid 2007 : Kroos & Moses 2008 : Tafer 2009 : Castaignos & Thy 2010 : Alcácer 2011 : Ebecilio, Hope, Yeşil & Vilhena 2012 : Meyer 2013 : Slaninka & Kamber 2014 : Schuurman & Solanke 2015 : Édouard 2016 : Gomes 2017 : Gouiri Bravo Award 1978 : Case 1979 : Birtles 1980 : H. Müller 1981 : Wark 1982 : Shaw 1983 : Bonini 1984 : Righetti 1985 : Butragueño 1986 : Butragueño 1987 : van Basten 1988 : Ohana 1989 : Maldini 1990 : Baggio 1991 : Prosinečki 1992 : Guardiola 1993 : Giggs 1994 : Panucci 1995 : Kluivert 1996 : Del Piero 1997 : Ronaldo 1998 : Ronaldo 1999 : Buffon 2000 : Casillas 2001 : Hargreaves 2002 : Metzelder 2003 : Rooney 2004 : C. Ronaldo 2005 : Robben 2006 : Fàbregas 2007 : Messi 2008 : Benzema 2009 : Busquets 2010 : T. Müller 2011 : Hazard 2012 : Verratti 2013 : Isco 2014 : Pogba 2015 : Berardi Golden Boy award winners 2003 : Van der Vaart 2004 : Rooney 2005 : Messi 2006 : Fàbregas 2007 : Agüero 2008 : Anderson 2009 : Pato 2010 : Balotelli 2011 : Götze 2012 : Isco 2013 : Pogba 2014 : Sterling 2015 : Martial 2016 : Sanches 2017 : Mbappé PFA Young Player of the Year 1974 : Beattie 1975 : Day 1976 : Barnes 1977 : Gray 1978 : Woodcock 1979 : Regis 1980 : Hoddle 1981 : Shaw 1982 : Moran 1983 : Rush 1984 : Walsh 1985 : Hughes 1986 : Cottee 1987 : Adams 1988 : Gascoigne 1989 : Merson 1990 : Le Tissier 1991 : Sharpe 1992 : Giggs 1993 : Giggs 1994 : Cole 1995 : Fowler 1996 : Fowler 1997 : Beckham 1998 : Owen 1999 : Anelka 2000 : Kewell 2001 : Gerrard 2002 : Bellamy 2003 : Jenas 2004 : Parker 2005 : Rooney 2006 : Rooney 2007 : Ronaldo 2008 : Fàbregas 2009 : Young 2010 : Milner 2011 : Wilshere 2012 : Walker 2013 : Bale 2014 : Hazard 2015 : Kane 2016 : Alli 2017 : Alli 2018 : Sané Arsenal F.C. Player of the Year 1967 : McLintock 1970 : Graham 1971 : Wilson 1972 : Rice 1975 : Rimmer 1976 : Stapleton 1977 : Brady 1978 : Brady 1979 : Brady 1981 : Sansom 1983 : Woodcock 1984 : Nicholas 1985 : Robson 1986 : Rocastle 1989 : Smith 1991 : Adams 1992 : Bould 1997 : Bergkamp 1998 : Parlour 2002 : Pirès 2006 : Henry 2007 : Fàbregas 2008 : Fàbregas 2009 : Van Persie 2010 : Fàbregas 2011 : Wilshere 2012 : Van Persie 2013 : Cazorla 2014 : Ramsey 2015 : Sánchez 2016 : Özil 2017 : Sánchez 2018 : Ramsey 2006 UEFA Team of the Year GK : Buffon RB : Zambrotta CB : Cannavaro CB : Puyol LB : Lahm MF : Gerrard MF : Kaká MF : Fàbregas MF : Ronaldinho FW : Eto'o FW : Henry Coach : Rijkaard 2008 UEFA Team of the Year GK : Casillas RB : Ramos CB : Terry CB : Puyol LB : Lahm MF : C. Ronaldo MF : Xavi MF : Fàbregas MF : Ribéry FW : Messi FW : Torres Coach : Ferguson 2007 -- 08 Premier League PFA Team of the Year GK : James DF : Sagna DF : Ferdinand DF : Vidić DF : Clichy MF : Ronaldo MF : Gerrard MF : Fàbregas MF : Young FW : Adebayor FW : Torres 2009 -- 10 Premier League PFA Team of the Year GK : Hart DF : Ivanović DF : Vermaelen DF : Dunne DF : Evra MF : Valencia MF : Fàbregas MF : Fletcher MF : Milner FW : Rooney FW : Drogba UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament Goalkeepers Gianluigi Buffon Iker Casillas Edwin van der Sar Defenders José Bosingwa Philipp Lahm Carlos Marchena Pepe Carles Puyol Yuri Zhirkov Midfielders Hamit Altıntop Michael Ballack Cesc Fàbregas Andrés Iniesta Luka Modrić Lukas Podolski Marcos Senna Wesley Sneijder Xavi Konstantin Zyryanov Forwards Andrey Arshavin Roman Pavlyuchenko Fernando Torres David Villa UEFA Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament Goalkeepers Gianluigi Buffon Iker Casillas Manuel Neuer Defenders Jordi Alba Fábio Coentrão Philipp Lahm Pepe Gerard Piqué Sergio Ramos Midfielders Xabi Alonso Sergio Busquets Daniele De Rossi Steven Gerrard Andrés Iniesta Sami Khedira Mesut Özil Andrea Pirlo Xavi Forwards Mario Balotelli Cesc Fàbregas Zlatan Ibrahimović Cristiano Ronaldo David Silva Spain squads Spain squad -- 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Casillas 2 Salgado 3 Pernía 4 Marchena 5 Puyol 6 Albelda 7 Raúl ( c ) 8 Xavi 9 F. Torres 10 Reyes 11 L. García 12 A. López 13 Iniesta 14 Alonso 15 Ramos 16 Senna 17 Joaquín 18 Fàbregas 19 Cañizares 20 Juanito 21 Villa 22 Ibáñez 23 Reina Coach : Aragonés Spain squad -- UEFA Euro 2008 winners ( 2nd title ) 1 Casillas ( c ) 2 Albiol 3 Navarro 4 Marchena 5 Puyol 6 Iniesta 7 Villa 8 Xavi 9 Torres 10 Fàbregas 11 Capdevila 12 Cazorla 13 Palop 14 Alonso 15 Ramos 16 García 17 Güiza 18 Arbeloa 19 Senna 20 Juanito 21 Silva 22 De la Red 23 Reina Coach : Aragonés Spain squad -- 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Third Place 1 Casillas ( c ) 2 Albiol 3 Piqué 4 Marchena 5 Puyol 6 Pablo 7 Villa 8 Xavi 9 Torres 10 Fàbregas 11 Capdevila 12 Busquets 13 López 14 Alonso 15 Ramos 16 Llorente 17 Güiza 18 Riera 19 Arbeloa 20 Cazorla 21 Silva 22 Mata 23 Reina Coach : Del Bosque Spain squad -- 2010 FIFA World Cup winners ( 1st title ) 1 Casillas ( c ) 2 Albiol 3 Piqué 4 Marchena 5 Puyol 6 Iniesta 7 Villa 8 Xavi 9 Torres 10 Fàbregas 11 Capdevila 12 Valdés 13 Mata 14 Alonso 15 Ramos 16 Busquets 17 Arbeloa 18 Pedro 19 Llorente 20 Martínez 21 Silva 22 Navas 23 Reina Coach : Del Bosque Spain squad -- UEFA Euro 2012 winners ( 3rd title ) 1 Casillas ( c ) 2 Albiol 3 Piqué 4 Martínez 5 Juanfran 6 Iniesta 7 Pedro 8 Xavi 9 Torres 10 Fàbregas 11 Negredo 12 Valdés 13 Mata 14 Alonso 15 Ramos 16 Busquets 17 Arbeloa 18 Alba 19 Llorente 20 Cazorla 21 Silva 22 Navas 23 Reina Coach : Del Bosque Spain squad -- 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup runners - up 1 Casillas ( c ) 2 Albiol 3 Piqué 4 Martínez 5 Azpilicueta 6 Iniesta 7 Villa 8 Xavi 9 Torres 10 Fàbregas 11 Pedro 12 Valdés 13 Mata 14 Soldado 15 Ramos 16 Busquets 17 Arbeloa 18 Alba 19 Monreal 20 Cazorla 21 Silva 22 Navas 23 Reina Coach : Del Bosque Spain squad -- 2014 FIFA World Cup 1 Casillas ( c ) 2 Albiol 3 Piqué 4 Martínez 5 Juanfran 6 Iniesta 7 Villa 8 Xavi 9 Torres 10 Fàbregas 11 Pedro 12 De Gea 13 Mata 14 Alonso 15 Ramos 16 Busquets 17 Koke 18 Alba 19 Costa 20 Cazorla 21 Silva 22 Azpilicueta 23 Reina Coach : Del Bosque Spain squad -- UEFA Euro 2016 1 Casillas 2 Azpilicueta 3 Piqué 4 Bartra 5 Busquets 6 Iniesta 7 Morata 8 Koke 9 Vázquez 10 Fàbregas 11 Pedro 12 Bellerín 13 De Gea 14 Thiago 15 Ramos ( c ) 16 Juanfran 17 San José 18 Alba 19 Bruno 20 Aduriz 21 Silva 22 Nolito 23 Rico Coach : Del Bosque Chelsea F.C. -- current squad 1 Kepa 2 Rüdiger 3 Alonso 4 Fàbregas 5 Jorginho 6 Drinkwater 7 Kanté 8 Barkley 10 Hazard 11 Pedro 12 Loftus - Cheek 13 Caballero 14 Bakayoko 15 Moses 17 Kovačić 18 Giroud 19 Abraham 20 Hudson - Odoi 21 Zappacosta 22 Willian 24 Cahill ( c ) 27 Christensen 28 Azpilicueta 29 Morata 30 Luiz 31 Green 32 Piazon 33 Emerson 44 Ampadu 59 Bułka Manager : Sarri BNE : XX5213111 ISNI : 0000 0001 0736 303X LCCN : nb2010031557 NDL : 001120804 VIAF : 160038960 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title= Cesc_Fàbregas&oldid = 854751391 '' Categories : 1987 births Living people People from Maresme Spanish footballers Catalan footballers Association football midfielders Premier League players La Liga players Arsenal F.C. players FC Barcelona players Chelsea F.C. players Spain youth international footballers Spain under - 20 international footballers Spain under - 21 international footballers Spain international footballers 2006 FIFA World Cup players UEFA Euro 2008 players 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players 2010 FIFA World Cup players UEFA Euro 2012 players 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup players 2014 FIFA World Cup players UEFA European Championship - winning players FIFA World Cup - winning players Spanish expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in England Spanish expatriates in England Catalonia international footballers FIFA Century Club UEFA Euro 2016 players CE Mataró players Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from September 2016 Soccerway template with ID same as Wikidata NFT template with ID same as Wikidata CS1 German - language sources ( de ) Wikipedia indefinitely move - protected pages Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected biographies of living people Use dmy dates from November 2017 Articles using Template : Medal with Winner Articles using Template : Medal with Runner - up Wikipedia articles in need of updating from June 2018 All Wikipedia articles in need of updating BDFutbol template with ID same as Wikidata FIFA player ID same as Wikidata UEFA player ID same as Wikidata Good articles Wikipedia articles with BNE identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with NDL identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Aragonés Asturianu Azərbaycanca বাংলা Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Bosanski Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ქართული Қазақша Kiswahili Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Malagasy മലയാളം मराठी مازِرونی Bahasa Melayu Монгол Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский Scots Shqip Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Soomaaliga کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Basa Sunda Suomi Svenska ไทย Тоҷикӣ Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt Volapük 吴语 粵語 中文 67 more Edit links This page was last edited on 13 August 2018, at 14 : 46 ( UTC ). 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Question: how old was fabregas when he joined arsenal
Answer: 16