Xavi leaves Barcelona: Club legend to join Qatari side Al-Sadd at the end of the season

Xavi has played more games for Barcelona than anyone else

(Getty Images)

Xavi Hernandez has announced he will leave Barcelona at the end of the season to join Qatari club Al-Sadd on a two-year deal.

The 35-year-old has played a record 764 matches for the club in a glittering 17-year spell at the Nou Camp, where he has also won more trophies than any other player.

The midfielder, who was also a crucial part of Spain's dominance between 2008 and 2012, will cut his stay at the Nou Camp short by a year to move to the Middle East.

"It is the moment to change," he said in an emotional press conference on Thursday.

Xavi will lift the eighth La Liga title of his career on Sunday and still has the chance to win the treble this season, with Barcelona in the finals of both the Copa del Rey and Champions League.

Along with his eight titles, Xavi has won the Copa del Rey twice, the Club World Cup twice and the Champions League three times.

He also played 133 times for Spain, winning two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup.