Pedri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pedri

Pedri in 2020
Personal information
Full name	Pedro González López
Date of birth	(2002-11-25) 25 November 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth	Bajamar, Spain
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Barcelona
Number	8
Youth career
2013–2015	Tegueste
2015–2018	Laguna
2018–2019	Las Palmas
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2019–2020	Las Palmas	36	(4)
2020–	Barcelona	136	(20)
International career‡
2019	Spain U17	5	(0)
2019	Spain U18	2	(1)
2020	Spain U19	1	(0)
2020	Spain U21	4	(0)
2021	Spain U23	7	(0)
2021–	Spain	34	(3)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Spain UEFA European Championship Winner 2024 Germany Team UEFA Nations League Winner 2023 Netherlands Team Runner-up 2025 Germany Team Olympic Games Silver 2020 Tokyo Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:08, 6 June 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 00:08, 6 June 2025 (UTC)

Pedro González López (born November 25, 2002), known as Pedri, is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. Many people think he is one of the best central midfielders in the world.

Pedri's Early Life and Football Start

Pedri was born in Bajamar, Tenerife, which is part of the Canary Islands in Spain. When he was three years old, his family moved to a nearby town called Tegueste. He started playing football at UD Tegueste as a centre-back. At 13, Pedri joined Laguna, where he played until 2018.

Pedri's Club Career Journey

Playing for Las Palmas

Pedri joined Las Palmas's youth team in 2018. On July 15, 2019, when he was only 16, he signed a four-year professional contract. He was then moved up to the main team by manager Pepe Mel.

Pedri played his first professional game on August 18, 2019, at just 16 years old. He scored his first professional goal on September 19. This made him the youngest goal scorer in Las Palmas history. He was 16 years, 9 months, and 23 days old at the time.

Joining FC Barcelona

First Season at Barcelona (2019–20)

Pedri (center) playing for Barcelona in 2020.

On September 2, 2019, Barcelona agreed to sign Pedri from Las Palmas. The transfer officially happened on July 1, 2020. Pedri signed a two-year contract with Barcelona. They paid €5 million for him, and this amount could increase based on his performance.

He joined the main squad for the 2020–21 season and wore the number 16 shirt. Pedri made his Barcelona debut on September 27, 2020. He came on as a substitute in a 4–0 win against Villarreal. His first start was on October 17 against Getafe.

On October 20, Pedri scored his first goal for Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League. It was in a 5–1 win against Ferencváros. On November 7, he scored his first La Liga goal in a 5–2 win over Real Betis.

Winning the Copa del Rey (2021–22)

On January 6, 2021, Pedri scored a header and helped set up another goal in a 3–2 win against Athletic Bilbao. On April 17, he won his first major trophy with Barcelona. They beat Athletic 4–0 in the Copa del Rey final.

By May 8, Pedri had played 50 games for Barcelona. He was 18 years and 164 days old, making him the second-youngest player to reach this milestone. In October 2021, Pedri signed a new contract with Barcelona. It included a huge release clause of €1 billion.

In November 2021, Pedri won the Golden Boy award. This award is for the best young player in European football under 21. The next week, he also received the 2021 Kopa Trophy. This award is for the best player in the world under 21.

On February 13, 2022, Pedri scored the fastest goal in the Barcelona Derby of the 21st century. He scored just 75 seconds into the game against Espanyol. Later that year, in April, Pedri got a hamstring injury. This happened during a Europa League game against Frankfurt. The injury meant he missed the rest of the season.

La Liga Title and New Contract (2023–25)

Pedri dribbling with the ball.

On January 28, 2023, Pedri played his 100th game for Barcelona. He came on as a substitute and scored the only goal in a La Liga game against Girona. By the end of the 2022–23 season, he helped Barcelona win his first La Liga title. This was under coach Xavi.

When new manager Hansi Flick joined Barcelona for the 2024–25 season, Pedri became much fitter. He had a strong start to the season with very few injuries.

On January 21, 2025, he assisted Eric García for a goal against Benfica. Barcelona won that game 5–4, securing a top 8 spot in the Champions League. Later that month, on January 30, he extended his contract with Barcelona until 2030.

On April 26, 2025, Pedri scored the first goal in the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid. He scored from outside the box, curling the ball into the top corner.

Pedri's International Career

Youth and Early Senior Teams

On August 21, 2020, Pedri was called up to the Spain under-21 team. He played his first game for them on September 3.

In March 2021, Pedri was called up to the Spain senior team for the first time. Coach Luis Enrique selected him for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification games. He made his debut on March 25 against Greece.

UEFA Euro 2020 Performance

On May 24, 2021, Pedri was chosen for Spain's squad for UEFA Euro 2020. On June 14, he became the youngest player ever to play for Spain at the European Championships. He was 18 years, 6 months, and 18 days old.

He played almost every minute of Spain's six matches. He was very important in Spain reaching the semi-finals. They lost to Italy in a penalty shootout. For his great performances, he was named the Young Player of the Tournament. He was also the only Spanish player chosen for the Team of the Tournament.

2020 Summer Olympics

On June 29, 2021, Pedri was also called up to the Spain squad for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Barcelona's manager, Ronald Koeman, thought it was too much for Pedri to play in two big tournaments in one summer.

On July 22, Pedri played the full game in Spain's first match against Egypt. This was his 66th game of the season. In the final, which was Pedri's 73rd game of the season, Spain lost 2–1 to Brazil in extra time.

2022 FIFA World Cup

Pedri was part of Spain's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He started in all four of Spain's matches. Spain was knocked out by Morocco in the Round of 16 after a penalty shootout.

UEFA Euro 2024 Victory

Pedri was called up for Spain's UEFA Euro 2024 squad. He had been out of the national team due to injuries since the World Cup. He scored his first two goals for the senior team in a friendly game against Northern Ireland on June 8, 2024. Spain won that game 5–1.

Pedri started in Spain's first match against Croatia, assisting a goal in a 3–0 win. He also started in the next group game against Italy and the Round of 16 match against Georgia. In the quarter-final against Germany, Pedri had to leave the game early due to a knee injury. Spain went on to win the tournament and become champions.

Pedri's Playing Style

Pedri usually plays as a free midfielder. This means he can move around the field a lot. He likes to play in the middle and find spaces between players. He can also move to the sides of the field to create chances for his teammates. Sometimes, he even drops back to help the defense get the ball.

He is known for being quick, smart, creative, and hard-working. He has excellent technical skills, great dribbling, and amazing ball control. Pedri is also good at passing, knowing where other players are, and seeing opportunities. He can handle the ball well in tight spaces and make important passes with either foot. This makes him a very effective playmaker.

People also admire his stamina and his calm attitude when under pressure. His playing style and skills have led to comparisons with famous former Barcelona players like Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Michael Laudrup, and even Lionel Messi.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Pedri goal.

List of international goals scored by Pedri

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	8 June 2024	Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, Palma, Spain	20	Northern Ireland	1–1	5–1	Friendly
2					3–1
3	5 June 2025	MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany	33	France	4–0	5–4	2025 UEFA Nations League Finals

Pedri's Awards and Honours

Barcelona

• La Liga: 2022–23, 2024–25
• Copa del Rey: 2020–21, 2024–25
• Supercopa de España: 2023, 2025

Spain U23

• Summer Olympic silver medal: 2020

Spain

• UEFA European Championship: 2024
• UEFA Nations League: 2023
• UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2024–25

Individual Awards

• UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI: 2020
• UEFA European Championship Young Player of the Tournament: 2020
• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2020
• Golden Boy: 2021
• Kopa Trophy: 2021, 3rd place: 2023
• IFFHS World's Best Youth (U20) Player: 2021
• IFFHS The World Youth (U20) Team: 2021, 2022
• IFFHS Men's Youth (U20) UEFA Team: 2021, 2022
• La Liga Team of the Season: 2021-22, 2022–23, 2024–25
• Trofeo Aldo Rovira: 2020–21
• Premi Barça Jugadors (Barça Players Award): 2021–22, 2024–25
• La Liga U23 Player of the Month: October 2024
• La Liga Player of the Month: April 2025
• The Athletic European Men's Team of the Season: 2024–25
• The Athletic La Liga Player of the Season: 2024–25
• The Athletic La Liga Team of the Season: 2024–25

See also

In Spanish: Pedri para niños