Pedri facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pedri

Personal information
Date of birth	(2002-11-25) 25 November 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth	Bajamar, Spain
Height	1.74 m
Playing position	Central midfielder
Club information
Current club	Barcelona
Number	8
Youth career
2012–2015	Tegueste
2015–2018	Juventud Laguna
2018–2019	Las Palmas
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2019–2020	Las Palmas	36	(4)
2020–	Barcelona	119	(20)
National team‡
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	30	(2)
Honours Men's football Representing  Spain UEFA European Championship Winner 2024 Germany Team Olympic Games Silver 2020 Tokyo Team
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:20, 18 January 2025 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:59, 18 November 2024 (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. Pedri also plays for the Spanish national team. Many people think he is one of the best midfielders in the world. He is famous for his amazing vision, great skills, accurate passes, and clever dribbling.

Pedri's Early Life and Football Start

Pedri was born in Bajamar, Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. When he was three, his family moved to Tegueste, a town nearby.

He started playing football at UD Tegueste. He began as a centre-back. At 13, Pedri joined CF Juventud Laguna. He played there until 2018.

Pedri's Club Football Journey

Playing for Las Palmas

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

Pedri played his first professional game on August 18, 2019. He was only 16 years old. It was a 0–1 loss at home against Huesca in the Segunda División. He scored his first professional goal on September 19. It was the only goal in a home win against Sporting Gijón. This made him the youngest goal scorer in Las Palmas history. He was 16 years, 9 months, and 23 days old.

Joining FC Barcelona

On September 2, 2019, Barcelona made a deal with Las Palmas to sign Pedri. The transfer became official on July 1, 2020. Pedri signed a two-year contract with Barcelona. They paid €5 million for him, and the price could go up with bonuses.

He joined the main Barcelona team for the 2020–21 season. He wore the number 16 shirt. Pedri played his first game for Barcelona on September 27. He came on as a substitute in a 4–0 home win against Villarreal in La Liga. His first start was on October 17, in a 0–1 loss against Getafe.

On October 20, Pedri scored his first goal for Barcelona. It was in his UEFA Champions League debut. Barcelona won 5–1 against Ferencváros. He came on as a substitute in the 61st minute. On November 7, he scored his first La Liga goal. It was in a 5–2 home win against Real Betis.

On January 6, 2021, Pedri scored a header against Athletic Bilbao. He also helped set up Barcelona's second goal in a 3–2 win. On April 17, Pedri won his first major trophy. Barcelona beat Athletic 4–0 in the Copa del Rey final.

On May 8, Pedri played his 50th game for Barcelona. He was 18 years and 164 days old. This made him the second-youngest player to reach 50 games for the club. Only Bojan Krkić was younger. In October 2021, Pedri signed a new contract with Barcelona. It included a huge release clause of €1 billion.

Awards and Recent Seasons

On November 22, 2021, Pedri won the Golden Boy award. This award is for the best young player (under 21) in European football. The next week, he also won the 2021 Kopa Trophy. This award is for the best young player (under 21) in world football.

On February 13, 2022, Pedri scored the fastest goal in the Barcelona derby in the 21st century. He scored after just 75 seconds in a 2–2 draw against Espanyol.

On April 14, 2022, Pedri got a hamstring injury. This happened during Barcelona's Europa League game against Frankfurt. He might have missed the rest of that season because of it.

On January 28, 2023, Pedri played his 100th game for Barcelona. It was a La Liga game against Girona. He came on early in the game and scored the only goal, helping Barcelona win.

With the new manager Hansi Flick joining Barcelona for the 2024/25 season, Pedri worked hard on his fitness. He had a strong start to the season with fewer injuries. On October 1, 2024, Pedri played an outstanding game against BSC Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League. He was named Man of the Match. On January 21, 2025, he assisted Eric García for Barcelona's goal against Benfica. Barcelona won that game 5-4 and secured a top 8 spot in the Champions League.

Pedri's International Career

Youth and Early Senior Games

On August 21, 2020, Pedri was called up to the Spain under-21 team. He played his first game for them on September 3. It was a 1–0 win against Macedonia.

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

UEFA Euro 2020 Performance

On May 24, 2021, Pedri was chosen for Spain's team for UEFA Euro 2020. On June 14, he became the youngest player ever to play for Spain at the European Championships. He started in a 0–0 draw against Sweden. He was 18 years, 6 months, and 18 days old.

On June 28, Pedri became the youngest player to play in a knockout game at the European Championships. He started against Croatia. He was 18 years and 215 days old. Spain won that game 5–3 in extra-time.

Pedri played almost every minute of Spain's six matches. He was very important in helping Spain reach the semi-finals. They lost to Italy in a penalty shootout. In that game, he completed 65 out of 66 passes! For his great play, he was named the Young Player of the Tournament. He was also the only Spanish player in the Team of the Tournament.

2020 Summer Olympics Experience

On June 29, 2021, Pedri was also called up to the Spain team for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Some people, including 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 90 minutes in Spain's first game, a 0–0 draw against Egypt. This was Pedri's 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 Participation

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

Pedri started in Spain's first game against Croatia, assisting a goal in a 3–0 win. He also started in the next group game, a 1–0 win over Italy. He played in the round of 16 game, a 4–1 victory over Georgia.

In the quarter-final against Germany, Pedri had to leave the field early. He was injured after a foul by Toni Kroos. He had a knee injury. Dani Olmo replaced him. Spain went on to win the tournament and become champions!

Pedri's Playing Style and Skills

Pedri usually plays as a free central midfielder. This means he can move around the pitch a lot. He likes to play in the middle and find spaces between defenders. 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 often plays on the left or right side, or as a number 8. Even though he started as a winger, he later moved to a central midfield role. He can also play as an attacking midfielder and in other attacking or midfield positions. He has even played as a defensive midfielder and a centre-forward sometimes.

Pedri is known as a fast, smart, creative, and hard-working player. He has excellent technical skills, great dribbling, and amazing ball control. His passing, awareness, and vision are also top-notch. He is very good at playing in small spaces and finding openings. He can make the final pass or a strong pass with either foot, making him a great playmaker.

He is also praised for his stamina and how calm he stays under pressure. His playing style has led to comparisons with famous former Barcelona players like Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Michael Laudrup, and Lionel Messi.

Pedri's 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

Pedri's Football Honours and Awards

Barcelona

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

Spain U23

• Summer Olympic silver medal: 2020

Spain

• UEFA European Championship: 2024

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 Men's World Youth (U20) Team: 2021, 2022
• IFFHS Men's Youth (U20) UEFA Team: 2021, 2022
• Trofeo Aldo Rovira: 2020–21
• Premi Barça Jugadors (Barça Players Award): 2021–22
• La Liga U23 Player of the Month: October 2024

See also

In Spanish: Pedri para niños