Barcelona midfielder Pedri has revealed he was stunned when he learned that Lionel Messi was leaving the club in 2021.
Messi, a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, rose to become the club’s greatest-ever player, dominating Spanish and world football for over a decade. However, he departed as a free agent after the Catalan side failed to renew his contract due to financial constraints.
Pedri, who joined Barcelona from Las Palmas in 2019, played 47 matches alongside Messi over two seasons. Speaking to France Football, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, the Spain international said he always looked for the Argentine on the pitch.
“I always passed the ball to Messi. Clearly, he was better than me,” Pedri admitted. “It was a shock when Leo Messi left. I was playing in the Olympics, and I found it hard to believe.”
After leaving Barcelona, Messi spent two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, winning the Ligue 1 title twice, before joining Inter Miami in 2023 as a free agent.