Pedro (footballer, born 1987) facts for kids
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Pedro lining up for Barcelona in 2014
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Pedro Eliezer Rodríguez Ledesma | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 28 July 1987 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Winger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Lazio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2004 | San Isidro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Barcelona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | San Isidro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Barcelona C | 71 | (11) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Barcelona B | 51 | (16) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2015 | Barcelona | 204 | (58) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2020 | Chelsea | 137 | (29) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Roma | 27 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Lazio | 131 | (24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Spain U21 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2017 | Spain | 65 | (17) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:13, 25 May 2025 (UTC) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pedro Eliezer Rodríguez Ledesma (born 28 July 1987), known simply as Pedro, is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a winger for Serie A club Lazio.
Pedro played for Barcelona from 2008 to 2015, scoring 99 goals in 321 games. In the 2009–10 season, he made history by scoring in every official club competition in one season. He then joined Chelsea in 2015, where he scored 43 goals in 206 games. With Chelsea, he helped win the Premier League in 2017, the FA Cup in 2018, and the UEFA Europa League in 2019. After Chelsea, he played for Roma in 2020, and then moved to their city rivals Lazio in 2021.
Pedro also played for the Spanish national team. He was part of the squads that won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and the UEFA European Championship in 2012.
Contents
Pedro's Football Journey
Starting Out in Spain
Pedro was born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain. He began his football journey at a local club called San Isidro. He was a great scorer for their youth team, getting 35 goals in the 2003–04 season. He also played for their main team.
Barcelona noticed Pedro in 2003 during a youth tournament. They had sent a scout to watch another player, but Pedro caught their eye. In August 2004, he joined Barcelona's youth academy.
Pedro played a big role for Barcelona B, helping them get promoted in the 2007–08 Tercera División season. He played 36 games and scored six goals. On 12 January 2008, he made his first team debut for Barcelona in a big 4–0 home win.
Becoming a Star at Barcelona
Early Success and Records (2008–2010)
Pedro joined Barcelona's first team for the 2008–09 season. He quickly showed his talent by scoring in pre-season games. He played in the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League and even came on as a substitute in the Champions League final, which Barcelona won 2–0 against Manchester United. This was part of Barcelona's amazing treble-winning season.
In the 2009–10 season, Pedro achieved something no other player had done before. He became the first player to score in every official club competition in a single season and in a single calendar year! This included the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Champions League, and FIFA Club World Cup. He scored the winning goal in extra time in the 2009 UEFA Super Cup against Shakhtar Donetsk. He finished the season with 23 goals in 52 games.
Winning More Trophies (2010–2014)
Pedro became a regular starter for Barcelona in the 2010–11 season. He scored in a huge 5–0 win against Real Madrid. He also scored in the Champions League final against Manchester United, helping Barcelona win 3–1 at Wembley Stadium.
He continued to be an important player, even with new signings. In the 2011–12 season, he scored 13 goals, including two in the Copa del Rey final, which Barcelona won 3–0.
Pedro scored a hat-trick (three goals in one game) on 21 September 2013. He scored another amazing hat-trick on 22 December, scoring all three goals in just nine minutes! This was the fastest hat-trick in Barcelona's history.
Final Season and Another Treble (2014–2015)
In his last season with Barcelona, 2014–15, Pedro helped the team win another treble! They won the domestic league, domestic cup, and the European Cup (Champions League). Pedro was one of the few players to be part of both of Barcelona's treble-winning teams. He also scored the winning goal in extra time in the 2015 UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla.
Moving to Chelsea
Premier League Champion (2015–2017)
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On 20 August 2015, Pedro joined Premier League champions Chelsea. He signed a four-year contract. Just three days later, he made a fantastic debut, scoring his first goal and assisting another in a 3–2 win. He scored his first goal at Chelsea's home ground, Stamford Bridge, in December.
In the 2016–17 season, Pedro scored one of the fastest goals of the season, just 30 seconds into a game against Manchester United. He also scored a brilliant equalizer against Tottenham Hotspur, which was named the Premier League Goal of the Month. He helped Chelsea win the Premier League title that season.
Europa League Glory (2018–2020)
Pedro continued to be a key player for Chelsea. In the 2018–19 season, he scored Chelsea's 1,000th Premier League goal at Stamford Bridge. He was crucial in the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League, scoring two goals in the semi-final. On 29 May 2019, Pedro scored in the Europa League final as Chelsea beat Arsenal 4–1. This made him only the fifth player ever to score in both a European Cup/Champions League final and a UEFA Cup/Europa League final! He was also included in the Europa League Team of the Season.
Pedro left Chelsea at the end of the 2019–20 season.
Playing in Italy
Time at Roma (2020–2021)
On 25 August 2020, Pedro joined Serie A club Roma in Italy. He made his debut in September and scored his first goal for Roma in October. He even scored in the "Derby della Capitale" against Lazio, Roma's city rivals.
Joining Lazio (2021–Present)
On 19 August 2021, Pedro made a rare move by joining Roma's city rivals, Lazio. He became the first player since 1985 to move directly between the two clubs. He quickly made an impact, scoring his first goal for Lazio against Roma in the Derby della Capitale. This made him only the third player to score for both clubs in this big derby!
In March 2023, Pedro scored in the Conference League, becoming the first player to score in the knockout stages of all three major European club competitions (Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League). He extended his contract with Lazio in July 2023 and scored his first Champions League goal for Lazio in October 2023.
Playing for Spain
Pedro was chosen for Spain's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He made his debut for Spain in a friendly game against Saudi Arabia. He scored his first international goal in a 6–0 win against Poland just before the World Cup began.
At the 2010 World Cup, Pedro played in five matches. He started in the final against the Netherlands, which Spain won 1–0 after extra time, winning the World Cup for the first time!
Pedro was also part of the Spain squad that won UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. He came on as a substitute in the knockout stages, including the final where Spain beat Italy 4–0.
He scored his first hat-trick for Spain in October 2012 during a World Cup qualifier. He was also part of the team that finished second in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Pedro was selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but Spain did not make it past the group stage that time.
How Pedro Plays
Pedro is a fast, smart, and versatile player who can use both feet well. He usually plays as a left winger, but he can play on either side of the field or in other attacking and midfield positions. He is known for his speed, balance, and great dribbling skills. He also works hard to defend. Pedro is good at both scoring goals and setting them up for his teammates, thanks to his finishing, passing, and crossing abilities. He's also great at making runs behind defenders, which makes him a big threat on fast counter-attacks.
Honours and Awards
Pedro has won many trophies and awards throughout his career:
Barcelona B
- Tercera División: 2007–08
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15
- Supercopa de España: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
- UEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011
Chelsea
- Premier League: 2016–17
- FA Cup: 2017–18
- UEFA Europa League: 2018–19
Spain
Individual Awards
- La Liga's Breakthrough Player: 2009–10
- Premier League Goal of the Month: November 2016, April 2017
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2018–19
- Lazio Goal of the Year: 2024
See also
In Spanish: Pedro (futbolista) para niños
