Barcelona midfielder Pedri has insisted that he values the appreciation of fans more than any recognition offered by the Ballon d’Or, even if plenty of lofty figures in the sport are outraged on his behalf.
Despite orchestrating Barcelona’s clean sweep of domestic titles last season with a consistent string of mesmeric midfield performances, Pedri didn’t crack the top 10 of this year’s Ballon d’Or vote. Seeing the 22-year-old schemer end up in 11th place, below both of Paris Saint-Germain’s fullbacks and Chelsea’s mercurial talisman Cole Palmer, was a surprise for many. But Pedri wasn’t fussed.
“I feel valued at my club, in the national team. That’s the most important thing. I’m left with the affection of the fans,” he told assembled media this week.
Not everyone was so forgiving. After collecting a record-setting third Ballon d’Or Féminin crown, Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí quickly shifted the focus onto her compatriot: “We need to talk more about Pedri.”
Pedri found Bonmatí’s comments harder to ignore than ’s judgement. “If she says it, we have to listen to her, because she’s won three Ballons d'Or. It couldn’t be better,” he gushed.
