UEFA honours
UEFA European Championship: winner 2008, 2012
UEFA EURO 2008: Team of the Tournament
UEFA EURO 2012: Team of the Tournament
UEFA Champions League: runner-up 2006
UEFA Super Cup: 2011
UEFA European Under-17 Championship: runner-up 2004
UEFA.com users' Team of the Year: 2006, 2008

• Signed by Arsenal from Barcelona in September 2003, Fàbregas became the Gunners' youngest first-team player (at 16 years 177 days, League Cup tie against Rotherham United FC) and goalscorer (16 years 212 days, 5-1 League Cup defeat of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC) later that season.

• Player of the tournament and top scorer at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Finland, where Spain finished runners-up to Brazil.

• Became Arsenal's midfield linchpin following the sale of Patrick Vieira and, with majestic individual performances against Real Madrid CF and Vieira's new employers Juventus, helped the Gunners to the 2006 UEFA Champions League final against Barça, which they lost 2-1 in Paris.

• In Spain's squad at 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2008, beginning both on the bench; started the final of the latter after a decisive penalty in the quarter-final shoot-out against Italy.

• Injured for much of 2008/09 − shortly after assuming the Arsenal captaincy − he scored a career-best 15 league goals the following campaign; left the club with just an FA Cup winners' medal to his name in summer 2011 when he rejoined Barcelona in a transfer which could earn the north Londoners €39m.

• A squad player at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he played the pass for Andrés Iniesta to score Spain's extra-time winner in the final against the Netherlands.

• Scored nine Liga goals in 2011/12 and was also on target in the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup final; named in Spain squad for UEFA EURO 2012 and scored twice as La Roja retained their trophy in Poland and Ukraine, earning a place in the Team of the Tournament.