🏆 Ballon d'OneFootball: And in 10th place is ... | OneFootball

Welcome to the third annual edition of the Ballon d’OneFootball as we continue our countdown of the top 25 players in the world.

Click right here to see the full list so far.

And today we have …

10th: Pedri, Barcelona and Spain

(New entry)

It is hard to believe that few were aware of Pedri just 18 months ago, so meteoric has his rise been.

In the short time since he agreed to join Barcelona as an exciting 16-year-old prospect from Las Palmas, he has quickly established himself as one of the world’s best midfielders.

And he is still just 19.

Last summer, he proved his talent on the international stage when Luis Enrique included him in his Spain squad for Euro 2020 after an impressive debut campaign in the Catalan capital.

The teenager started the opening game to become the youngest player ever to represent La Roja at the European Championship and didn’t look back after that, playing every minute bar one in their run to the semi-final and going to on to be crowned Young Player of the Tournament.

Golden Boy and Kopa Trophy honours also followed, rubber-stamping his arrival.

In the wake of those heroics, his club quickly rewarded him with a new contract and their patented €1 billion release clause to ward off any interest in a man who seems set to lead them for the next decade and more, the ready-made replacement for Andrés Iniesta that they’ve been missing.

It may be a simple comparison but it’s the most fitting one. Pedri possesses the same vision for a pass that the Blaugrana legend did and has also shown he is capable of pulling off the same kind of unorthodox and unexpected pass, while rarely giving the ball away.

So staggering are some of his passes through a crowd of bodies or picked out over a defensive line that you wonder how many players in the world could also achieve it. The answer will often be very few, such is the level he is operating on.

And if you believe the Iniesta comparison is unfair or exaggerated, then a man who has seen them both up close and personal believes it is extremely apt.

“It’s more than just the nutmegs with Pedri, it is the way that he understands football,” his current coach Xavi said, as reported by MARCA.

“He doesn’t lose the ball. The way he moves between the lines and behind midfielders … he reminds me a lot of Iniesta. He’s wonderful, he makes the difference. It’s an honour to coach him. I really haven’t seen many talents like him.”

The improvements in his game under Xavi in a short time are clear, adding the goal threat that the man in charge wants, believing Pedri should be a double digits player for goals and assists each season.

That, and much more, is likely to come. This frightening talent is only getting better.

Click right here to see the full list so far.