Xavi Sets Champions League Appearance Record vs. PSG

Barcelona's midfield icon Xavi Hernandez has become the new all-time record holder for appearances in the Champions League after playing his 143rd game in the competition against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.

Bleacher Report created a graphic for the Spaniard's stellar achievement, surpassing former record holder and ex-international team-mate Raul:

It's deserved recognition for a player who began his relationship with the competition in September 1998, more than 16 years prior to his record-breaking display against the Ligue 1 champions.

Xavi came off the bench on Tuesday, just as he did in his debut, a 3-3 draw against Manchester United all those years ago. Sid Lowe of The Guardian comments on what has made Xavi so inherently talismanic during his reign:

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Xavi is like the leader of a sect, they complain, refusing to admit other ways of playing. Xavi would disagree; everyone can play as they wish, he would reply. But his way is not going to change. He has swum against the tide too and that single-mindedness, that clarity, has carried him: here is a man who admits to having felt under threat of extinction but who ultimately has outlived them all.

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It's true that Xavi is not the same valued leader now that he always has been. Manager Luis Enrique has opted to rely upon others in that central void rather than hand the 34-year-old his usual role of prominence.

But the very fact that he is still playing a part at all in a team still vying for the honour of best in Europe speaks volumes of not just longevity, but also a class that still ranks highly among the continent's other playmaking stars.

Christophe Ena/Associated Press

Depending upon Barca's progression in the tournament and the role Xavi goes on to play under former team-mate Enrique, he could yet extend the record even further.

Prior to the accolade being realised, Goal.com broke down the stalwart's statistics in Champions League competition:

Even in his advanced years, the player who embodies an entire generation of success for the Spanish national team and Barcelona alike is still setting boundaries other players may only dream of.

Those figures only go some way in explaining what a dramatic impact he's had on the Catalan giants' glory of the past decade-and-a-half, but he's nonetheless a deserving recipient of such esteemed praise.