One award that a Paris Saint-Germain didn’t win during the Ballon d’Or presentation was the Kopa Trophy, which went to FC Barcelona midfielder Pedri.
Pedri has enjoyed a solid 2021 with Barcelona, but it was the international stage over the summer where many began paying attention to his form. The midfielder has a role in leading Spain to the Euro 2020 semi-finals and starring in the country’s run to an Olympic Games silver medal in Tokyo.
The 19-year-old gives credit to his former teammate, Lionel Messi, to help get him to this point in his young career during his press conference with the media. Pedri states that the Paris Saint-Germain forward helped him grow as a player.
“Messi helped me a lot in my career and made me a better player,” Pedri told reporters. “It was fantastic to learn from a player like Lionel Messi. It was a spectacular year, and I am super happy with how things went. I think I improved as a player and a person.”
