Pedri reflected on his time playing alongside Messi, noting, “Whenever I had the ball, I instinctively passed it to Messi, because it was obvious he could handle the situation far better than I ever could.” His admiration for Messi extended beyond matchdays; during training sessions, Pedri witnessed moments of sheer brilliance that only his teammates could fully appreciate. “The things he did in practice were absolutely incredible—truly mind-blowing. It was something only we, his teammates, were lucky enough to witness firsthand,” he said.
The young midfielder admitted that Messi’s sudden departure hit the club hard. “Losing Leo was incredibly difficult for everyone at the club, particularly because it was so unexpected. There wasn’t time to mentally prepare for it,” Pedri explained. The news reached him while he was halfway across the world, competing in the Olympics in Japan. “When I first heard about it, I couldn’t believe it. It just didn’t feel real at the time,” he recalled.
Coming to terms with Messi’s absence was a major adjustment for the team. Pedri emphasized how much of a cornerstone Messi had been, not just on the pitch but psychologically. “Realizing that he wouldn’t be there for us anymore was a real shock. Leo’s presence alone gave the team a sense of stability, confidence, and security—qualities that are hard to replace,” he added. The void left by Messi’s exit was profound, marking the end of an era and challenging the squad to adapt to life without one of football’s greatest icons.
