Xavi openly declares national team ambition: ‘A club wouldn’t give me as much time with my family’

Xavi Hernández has made his intentions crystal clear. The former Barcelona manager and World Cup-winning midfielder has openly declared that his next step in football will be on the international stage – and he is not hiding from that ambition.

“I’ll say it openly: A national team would suit me… I want that,” Xavi stated in a recent interview.

The 46-year-old, who has been out of management since leaving Barcelona in 2025, cited family as the primary driver behind his decision.”I have family. A club wouldn’t allow me as much time with my family – I’ve got young children,” he explained.

The gruelling daily grind of club management – the relentless training sessions, travel, and pressure – no longer appeals to a man who spent over two decades in football without pause, first as a player and then as a coach.”Club management has a lot of stress; it’s difficult to manage family life,” Xavi said.

A Broad Vision

Xavi’s ambitions extend far beyond any single tournament or continent. He expressed keen interest in coaching at the World Cup, the UEFA European Championship, the Africa Cup of Nations, and even the Asian Cup – a list broad enough to suggest he is keeping his options genuinely open.

“I’m keen to take part as a coach in a World Cup, EURO, AFCON, an Asian Cup,” he said.

This is not an idle wish list. Xavi spent the later years of his playing career at Al Sadd in Qatar, where he also began his coaching journey before Barcelona came calling.His familiarity with football culture in Asia and the Middle East gives him credibility that few European coaches can match.

The Barcelona Years and a Sabbatical

Xavi left Barcelona in 2025 after a tenure that began in 2021. His reign produced genuine highs, including a La Liga title in the 2022-23 season and the Spanish Super Cup.But it also featured the messier stretches that tend to define managerial stints at elite clubs – including a humiliating 3-5 defeat to Villarreal in January 2024, after which he announced his departure, only to be convinced to stay, and then ultimately dismissed at the end of the season.

Since then, Xavi has received interest from several clubs, including Ajax, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, and AC Milan.He even turned down the AC Milan job, making it clear that his priority at this stage of his career is to move away from club football.

But he has not been idle. He has received offers – including one from Morocco – and has been carefully considering his next move.

The Spain Question

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is the obvious name attached to any conversation about Xavi and international management. Spain is his country; his football identity is inseparable from the national team’s tiki-taka era.As a player, he won the 2010 World Cup and two European Championships (2008, 2012) .

However, Spain already has Luis de la Fuente in the role following the 2024 European Championship victory.With De la Fuente leading Spain to the 2026 World Cup final against Argentina on Sunday, any vacancy would have to align with a future date.

What Motivates Him Now

Xavi has made one thing clear: his decision will be driven by the project and sporting ambition, not financial factors.He does not want to leave Barcelona, where he is focused on raising his two children and remains rooted in his immediate circle.

“I would like to test myself with a national team. I would like to have more time to prepare things, more time for the family, to take part in a World Cup, a European Championship or, why not, an Africa Cup of Nations,” he said in an interview earlier this year.

For a man who has won everything the game has to offer as a player and tasted success as a club manager, the international stage represents the final frontier. And he is ready to answer the call – whenever and wherever it comes.