He began playing for Barcelona in 1998, and quickly became one of the backbones of the team. He was named Player of the Year by multiple publications and organizations in the late 90s, and he was chosen to serve as team vice captain in 2004. He considered leaving Barcelona at one point, but was convinced to stay. His contract runs through 2014. He also plays for the Spanish national team, and holds the distinction of being the most successful Spanish player in history due to the number of international tournaments he has won while playing for Spain.