Pedri: Why not dream of winning the Ballon d’Or?

Pedri revealed that he is dreaming about winning the Ballon d’Or during his career following Rodri’s achievement last year.

The award was dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for over a decade, with Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Rodri the only other players to lift the prestigious trophy since 2008.

Pedri played a pivotal role in Barcelona’s impressive 2024-25 campaign as the Spanish giants completed a domestic treble.

The midfielder scored four times in 37 LaLiga matches while also providing five assists, despite creating 70 chances throughout the campaign. Only Alex Baena (95) and Barcelona team-mate Raphinha (91) created more chances in the league.

Pedri felt the award favoured more attacking players for quite some time, but now feels the midfielder position is being given more credit after Rodri won the award in 2024.

“For a long time, this award was mainly given to strikers,” Pedri told L’Equipe.

“Rodri’s victory proves that the role of midfielder is finally being recognised for what it’s worth.

“Because a lot of football is played in midfield. When a team dominates that area, it wins matches more easily.

“So yes, why not dream of winning the Ballon d’Or during my career? To do that, we’ll need to have a very good season as a team.”

Here are the 2025 Ballon d’Or nominees!#ballondor pic.twitter.com/tehmbU4R0j

— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) August 7, 2025

Following the release of the Ballon d’Or shortlist earlier this week, Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembele have emerged as two of the frontrunners to win the award.

Pedri, who has played with both wingers, believes they are two of the best players in the world.

“Playing with them is a real pleasure,” Pedri added. “Both have had incredible seasons, each in their own style.

“Lamine is a player who dares to go into tackles and handles one-on-ones with great confidence.

“He has this ability to dribble with incredible ease, as if he had no defenders in front of him. He plays for fun and it shows.

“He has enormous potential and is very good with both feet; we’re not even sure which one is his favourite.

“He has really shone this season. He’s also scored a lot of goals, which is new for him.

“As for Dembélé, he’s a very unpredictable player, capable of attacking on either side, which makes him difficult for opponents to read.

“He’s also coming off an exceptional season, often proving decisive.”