Barcelona’s Pedri is one of the most promising midfielders in world football currently and has taken La Liga by storm since making his first-team debut. His quickness with the ball, his passing range and vision, along with a mature head on young shoulders, have led to his rapid rise to prominence.
The midfielder was born in Bajamar in Spain as Pedro Gonzalez Lopez on November 25, 2002 and initially began his playing career with local club UD Tegueste. He initially started off as a centre-back but was eventually moved around and finally settled into the midfield role. Standing at 5-foot-9, Pedri possesses good agility and still is not very short, so can hold his own in the middle of the park.
Pedri: Bio & Team Details
- Full Name: Pedro Gonzalez Lopez.
- Date of Birth: 25 November 2002.
- Place of Birth: Bajamar, Tenerife, Spain.
- Professional Debut: August 2019, for Las Palmas.
- Current Club: Barcelona.
- Jersey Number: 8.
- Position: Central Midfielder.
Pedri: Early Life and Origin Story
Pedri was enrolled into local club Tegueste’s academy in 2012 when he was just 10 years old. He trained with the club for three years until 2015, before switching to Juventud Laguna, where he spent another three years learning the game. Then came the big move which shaped his career the way it is.
The midfielder was transferred to Las Palmas’ academy in 2018, where he spent one season. He was promoted to the first-team as a 17-year-old the following season and has not looked back since. The very minute he made it to the main squad in 2019, Barcelona snapped him up for €5 million, with the deal effective from 2020 onwards.
Since joining Barcelona, Pedri’s career has progressed leaps and bounds.
Las Palmas (2018-20)
Pedri moved to Las Palmas’ youth academy in 2018 after the completion of his spell with Juventud Laguna. Just a year later in July 2019, former manager Pepe Mel offered the then-16-year-old midfielder a full contract for a four-year duration.
He made his debut for the club in August 2019 in a narrow 1-0 loss at home against Huesca in the Segunda Division. A month after his debut, Pedri grabbed his first goal for Las Palmas, and in doing so, became their youngest-ever scorer aged 16 years, nine months and 23 days.
In the 2019-20 season, he made a total of 37 appearances for Las Palmas across competitions and even chipped-in with four goals and seven assists. As a result, he was signed by Barcelona.
Barcelona (2020-Present day)
Having joined the club in 2019, the transfer was made official the following year as Pedri signed for Barcelona on a two-year contract and was initially handed the #16 shirt. He made his debut for Barca in September 2020 as he replaced Philippe Coutinho in a routine 4-0 win over Villarreal.
Just a month later, he was on the scoresheet for his first senior goal for the club which came in a rampant 5-1 win against Ferencvaros in the UEFA Champions League. By the end of his first season with the club, Pedri had already lifted his first piece of silverware as Barca defeated Athletic Club 4-0 in the Copa del Rey final.
Pedri made an astronomical 52 appearances with four goals and six assists in the 2020-21 season. The following year, he made just 22 appearances with five goals and one assist as he missed most of the 2021-22 campaign through hamstring injury. In 2022-23, he was back to featuring regularly as he made 35 appearances, scoring seven goals and assisting one. This season, he has made 25 appearances with two goals and five assists so far.
Pedri’s talent was given a worldwide certification via two prestigious awards won in 2021 as he was named the Golden Boy, followed by being awarded the Kopa Trophy later the same year. Now, his progress and achievements with the club have led to him being given the prestigious #8 jersey, formerly worn by the great Andres Iniesta.
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Pedri: Season-wise Stats (Tabular)
| Club | Season | Games Played | Goals | Assists |
| Las Palmas | 2019-20 | 37 | 4 | 7 |
| Barcelona | 2020-21 | 52 | 4 | 6 |
| 2021-22 | 22 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2022-23 | 35 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2023-24 | 25 | 2 | 5 |
National Team Stats
| Team | Debuted On | Games Played | Goals | Assists |
| Spain | March 25, 2021 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
Pedri: Honours and Achievements
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2022-23.
- Copa Del Rey: 2020-21.
- Supercopa de Espana: 2022-23.
Individual
- Golden Boy: 2021.
- Kopa Trophy: 2021; 3rd Place: 2023.
- UEFA Euro 2020 Young Player of the Tournament.
- UEFA Euro 2020 Team of the Tournament.
- UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI: 2020.
FAQ’s
Q – What position does Pedri play?
Pedri is mainly used as a central midfielder alongside Frenkie De Jong in Xavi’s setup. He has also been deployed as a wide midfielder and a false nine on rare occasions.
Q – Are Pedri and Gavi brothers?
Despite Pedri (21) and Gavi (19) being close in age and sharing a similar position, they are not related.
Q – Who is better – Pedri or Jude Bellingham?
Both players possess different qualities as Bellingham is more of a box-to-box player with a penchant for scoring goals, while Pedri operates slightly deeper down the field.
Q – Why is Pedri not playing for Spain?
Multiple muscle injuries, especially his hamstrings, have kept Pedri out of action for a considerable amount of games this season. However, he will aim to make it to Spain’s Euro 2024 squad.
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