Barcelona's rising star shrugs off comparison with Messi and Neymar
Barcelona midfielder Pedri has dominated newspaper headlines with his brilliant performances at the Olympics this summer but the Spaniard doesn't like being compared to Lionel Messi and Neymar, insisting that his focus is to win the tournament.
During an interview, the 18-year-old remarked:
"It's an honor to be here, it's impossible to compare myself to Messi or Neymar, who have done so much in football but having the opportunity to win it is an honor. If anyone had told me what was going to happen this year, honestly, I would have said they were crazy. I thought it was impossible, in my first season, to play so many matches at a club like Barcelona and in my country's national team. Every day is a proud day."
When asked about his team's preparations for the Olympic final against Brazil, Pedri replied:
"We're hoping for a great game and to win.''
It has really been an explosive rise for Pedri. The young midfielder made his debut for Barcelona in a La Liga clash with Villareal last season and he has gone on to nail down a place in the Blaugrana's midfield. Pedri was then selected to represent Spain at the ongoing Olympics in Tokyo and he has already helped them to reach the final of the tournament.
The midfielder will get the chance to win an Olympic gold medal when Spain face Brazil in the final on August 7. Should his team come out on top, Pedri will follow in the footsteps of other Barca legends, Lionel Messi and Neymar Junior. Both players have claimed the gold medal at the competition as well. Messi won his own medal in Beijing in 2008 while Neymar did the same in Rio in 2016.
When will Pedri return to Barcelona?
It's been a really busy year for Pedri. The midfielder played a whopping 52 games for Barcelona last season and also represented his nation at the European championship this summer, where he featured in all of Spain's matches before heading to Tokyo.
With the Olympic final scheduled for August 7 and the Liga campaign kicking off on August 13, Pedri is unlikely to return in time for the league opener against Real Sociedad on August 15. Pedri needs a break after such a busy year and Barcelona will surely grant him a few weeks to recover.