The Sensational 2021 Golden Boy Award Winner: Pedri González López – Early Life, Career, and Journey to FC Barcelona
Pedri is a joy to watch on the field because he has a high IQ and a lot of technical skill, especially in passing the ball and making space for himself. He presses for possession and can alter the pace of play when necessary.
In this article, we highlight the rising sensation, Pedro González López, who could be the next Xavi for both club and country. So come along as we explore his early life, childhood career, and journey to La Liga.
Early life and career
The Spanish national team player grew up in a family that loved football, and his love for the game was evident from his childhood. At age six, he joined the youth school of CD San Isidro, a local club in Tenerife, and started playing football. He got noticed by UD Las Palmas, a football club in the Canary Islands, because of his skills and physical ability. In 2018, he joined the club’s youth program and was known as one of the most talented young players in Spanish football.
At 16, the attacking midfield wizard made his first appearance as a professional for UD Las Palmas in the 2019–2020 season. He played in 36 games, scored four goals, and set up five others. He became a key player on the team. Several of Europe’s best teams, including FC Barcelona, were impressed by how well he played.
The following season, Barcelona swooped in to replace their famous midfield trio of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets. FC Barcelona signed Pedri for an original price of €5 million.
Pedri’s full name is Pedri González López. He is a Spanish national professional footballer. He was born on November 25, 2002, in Tegueste, a Canary Islands town.
Pedri plays an attacking midfielder in La Liga for the Barcelona football club. He became a Barca player after signing a contract with the club on August 4, 2020.
Pedri was born on November 25, 2002. He is twenty (20) years old at the moment. His height is 174 centimeters, and he weighs 60 kilograms.
Early career and journey to FC Barcelona
Pedri joined CF Juventud Laguna at a very young age. He made such a good impression that Las Palmas recruited him in 2018.
After that, he improved even further, netting his first goal against Huesca to become the seventh-youngest player in La Liga 2 history. By the year’s conclusion, Pedri had contributed four goals and six assists for Las Palmas. He was never injured while starting 24 of the 36 games he participated in.
Having demonstrated good qualities at Las Palmas, there was no doubt that big European clubs would come for Pedri. Without much fanfare, Pedri landed at Barcelona during one of the darkest periods in the club’s existence. The team had just finished a trophy-less season, and the new Spanish Primera Division football season got delayed due to the COVID-19 epidemic.
After moving to Barcelona from Las Palmas in 2020, Pedri wasted no time establishing himself as a first-team player. The following year, he made history as the youngest player in Spain’s history to make his UEFA Championship debut in a start against Sweden at the postponed Euro 2020 competition. With so much of his career ahead of him, his future accomplishments are anyone’s guess. He has already demonstrated his ability to compete at the highest levels of the sport.
Xavi, coach of Barcelona, recently remarked, “Pedri is a superlative footballer.” Xavi is one coach who understands what it takes to thrive in central midfield, and he believes Pedri is undoubtedly that kind of player.
What is Pedri’s current role at FC Barcelona?
Pedri thrives as number 8 in a 4-3-3, continually moving in search of passing lanes. He has excellent vision and knows when to press the ball.
He can change the game’s pace with his first touch’s accuracy, speed, and direction. By racing past an opponent or playing a penetrating pass, he can quicken the pace of his team’s move and set off an assault. His through passes between the center-back and the full-back of the rival team are especially dangerous, setting up either an attacker on a diagonal run from the top of the box to the bottom or a winger on a dart toward the goal.
During games, Pedri takes his first contact in the direction he wants to advance play, and he uses his body posture and shapes wisely to keep the pace of his team’s attacks high. Receiving on the half-turn isn’t his strong suit, so he’s at his best when given a side or diagonal pass.
At the moment, he rarely plays the assist role and rarely plays the ball before the assist. It is a great move, but he could improve his game by becoming more dangerous in the closing third.
He’s always looking for a means to get his teammates (or himself) behind the other team’s defense. His team constantly relies on him to keep moving to confuse the other team’s defensive formation. In a typical build-up phase, he moves around to open up passing lanes, receives the ball from the defenders, and then bursts forward to impact the attacking third.
One beautiful thing about the Barcelona youngster is that it took him little to get integrated into the style of play in Catalonia. Upon arriving at the club, his performance within the first twelve (12) months established him as a critical player for the Spanish national team and FC Barcelona.
Pedri’s Quality: Position, Playing Style, and Skills
Dribbling and Speed
Regarding dribbling and speed, Pedri has incredible speed whenever he’s with the ball and can quickly change directions with it. He demonstrates unprecedented control to keep the ball out of his opponent’s reach.
In possession-heavy teams like Barcelona’s and Spain’s, his ability to dribble past defenders becomes useful.
Position
Pedri is widely regarded as one of the greatest young midfielders in the world today, thanks to his combination of superior game sense and exceptional athletic skill. He is an attacking midfielder who could quickly start for Barcelona. He looks like a typical Barcelona No. 8.
Vision
He is also a versatile player eager to receive the ball at his feet and excels at moving into and making the most of open space in the attacking third.
Because of his ability to identify open space and explode into it, he poses a significant defensive challenge when he is in the receiving position. Then, once he gets there, he wants to have the ball immediately and has excellent first-touch control. He then quickly scans and decides his next move.
Passing
Pedri’s passing ability sticks out the most, as it usually does for a Barcelona midfielder. His passing weight and accuracy are consistently among the highest in the game, and he effortlessly moves the action along the middle of the field. In every situation, he’ll pick out his partner’s foot, which will be most helpful in moving the ball quickly up the field.
Long-range passing is where he struggles the most. His strength increases when he hits the ball with his laces, but his aim needs to improve, so he rarely goes for the long ball. He rarely even takes shots, much less makes any goals. Therefore, his marksmanship is not particularly intimidating.
Defensive Strength
Pedri is not the best player when it comes to defense. He has good balance for his size and builds, but his work rate and fierce pressing make up for the fact that he could be better at defense.
At Las Palmas, he tried to make 1.4 tackles per game, and he did so an average of 0.9 times. The reason for this is that he often follows the trail back. He got told to drop back a lot, mainly when he played left wing for Spain.
This positioning allowed his team to get the ball back in their half and start a counterattack using his accurate passing and hard work. Even though it’s unnecessary, this kind of flexibility gives a player something extra.
Stats
Pedri has played 18 games in the Spanish La Liga season 2022/23 (plus three as a sub). He has taken 14 shots, nine going in, and scored six goals.
Pedri makes an average of 55 passes per game, and 89% get completed. He has earned two yellow cards but no red ones.
Pedri has appeared in five games in the 2022–23 UEFA Champions League season. He’s taken five attempts, three of them on goal.
He has appeared in 1 game in the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League. They’ve taken one shot, none of which has been on target, and scored nothing. Pedri completes 70% of his throws for an average of 20 plays per game, but he contributes nothing by way of assists.
He also appeared in four games during the 2022 FIFA World Cup season. There were zero attempts on goal and zero goals tallied by him. Pedri completed 91% of his throws on average and made 109 passes per game, but he did not record any assists. Pedri got shown neither a yellow nor a red card.
Achievements
Pedri’s first big prize came when he won the Copa del Rey with his Catalan side. He went on to win the Kopa Award (given annually by France Football to the finest under-21 player in the world) and the Golden Boy Award (given annually by Tuttosport) in the same month in 2021.
How much does Pedri earn a week at FC Barcelona?
Pedri currently earns a weekly salary of €38,000 per week. Pedri drives the brand-new, all-electric 2021 CUPRA Formentor.
What is Pedri’s Release Clause?
Since Barcelona sold Neymar to PSG for €222 million in 2017, teams in Spain’s La Liga have made it a rule to include exit clauses in their players’ contracts and have made those clauses bigger to discourage potential bidders.
After receiving a contract extension in 2021, Pedri’s current contract with Barcelona will run out at the end of the 2025–2026 season.
His market value is approximately £ 87.91 million, and his release clause is currently €1 billion, in line with the industry standard.
Life Outside Football
Pedri is well-known for his deep ties to his loved ones. He has often said that his family is essential and has been the driving force behind his success. The Spaniard’s family was instrumental in his development as a football player; his father and grandfather were club players.
Additionally, despite his hectic schedule as a football player, with almost every game for Barcelona and La Furia Roja, Pedri still finds time to travel and see the world.
Interesting Facts About Him
- Pedri’s full name is Pedro González López, but he is more commonly known by his nickname. His grandma, who doted on him as an infant, is credited with giving him the nickname Pedrito,” which means “little Pedro” in Spanish got credited with giving him the nickname “Pedrito,” which means “little Pedro” in Spanish. His name got shortened to Pedri from Pedrito. Pedri’s teammates on the Spanish national team and Barcelona colleagues call him ‘Pedri Potter.’
- Before Pedri became a big name in world football, he tried out for Real Madrid, but he didn’t impress the scouts, so the club didn’t sign him.
- Pedri is a massive fan of video games.
- In 2019, Pedri got offered a full scholarship to study medicine at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, but he focused on football instead.
Pedri González López has shown that he is a solid force to be reckoned with in world football. It is certain that the attacking midfielder is out to lift more trophies, set new records, and rise to his peak.
In the coming years, many kids of Pedri’s age will dream of becoming like him.
