Pedri is among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or, one of football’s most prestigious individual awards. In an interview with the French magazine L’Équipe, he said that last season was very good from a collective perspective, while on a personal level he reached a high standard.
In the race for this award, he hopes to finish higher than in 2021, when he placed 24th. “We footballers are competitive and always want to improve. The Ballon d’Or is often given to forwards, but Rodri’s win shows that midfielders should be valued more, so why shouldn’t I dream of winning it one day myself?” said the Spanish midfielder.
Pedri’s ranking and the winner are still unknown, but he has spoken about favorites such as Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé. About Yamal, he said that he has great qualities in one-on-one duels and plays for the joy of it, while Dembélé is very powerful, uses both feet, and has scored many goals this year—unlike before. Both have had a fantastic season.
Pedri feels full of confidence after working hard last season and performing well, finally finding the stability he wanted. Coach Hansi Flick has trusted him, something essential to give his best.
The joy he feels is also reflected on the pitch. The Spaniard says he feels like a Brazilian player, playing with a smile and pleasure. Regarding last season’s Champions League campaign, Pedri considered it good, but now he has high expectations: “Obviously, we want to reach the Champions League final.” He added that returning to Camp Nou is very important to him, as he has greatly missed the Catalan stadium, which has now been expanded and rebuilt.
The interview also touched on a hypothetical Champions League final against PSG: “It would have been a very tough final. The team that had possession of the ball would clearly dominate, but since it didn’t happen, we don’t know what would have taken place. We will try again next season.”
He also mentioned the positive atmosphere in the dressing room, saying that Lewandowski is serious in training, while Lamine Yamal likes to joke with him. Pedri also recalled Leo Messi’s departure from Barcelona, which was a shock to him since he was playing in the Olympic Games at the time and found it hard to accept: “I always gave the ball to Messi because after that he would do the job better than me.”
He spoke about eternal rivals Real Madrid and their star players: “Real Madrid have many great players. When Mbappé has the ball and is in a one-on-one duel, it’s very difficult to stop him. Bellingham is an exceptional player who combines physical strength with technique, making it very hard to face him.”
Finally, Pedri was asked to compare Barcelona’s current midfield with the legendary Xavi–Iniesta–Busquets trio: “Clearly, we are not at their level yet. We hope one day to get there, because everything they gave to the club and the national team was extraordinary. We try to resemble them in some aspects, but we still have a long way to go.”
