"He sees things that no one else does" - Luis de la Fuente hails Barcelona star's performance in Spain's World Cup qualifier clash

Spain’s head coach Luis de la Fuente waxed lyrical about Barcelona midfielder Pedri following his outstanding performance in the national team’s 4-0 victory over Bulgaria on Tuesday, October 14.

The 22-year-old once again delivered a brilliant display in the middle of the park, demanding the ball and dictating the tempo of the game in the 68 minutes he spent on the pitch. The Barcelona man was involved in Spain’s opener, as his inch-perfect lofted pass found Robin Le Normand, who headed it into the path of Mikel Merino to give La Roja the lead. Before Merino’s goal, Pedri came close to scoring for Spain as his effort came off the crossbar.

Pedri was literally at the center of everything for Spain as he ran the show and could have contributed more goals on the night. His impact in the match was felt by fans, who gave him a thunderous standing ovation when he came off in the second half for Pablo Barrios.

Speaking after the match, De la Fuente expressed his admiration for the Barcelona playmaker, emphasizing his intelligence, vision, and understanding of the game.

“You can expect anything from Pedri. He is a great footballer. He sees things that no one else does. He always chooses the best option available to him from his teammates,” De la Fuente said.

Throughout his time on the pitch, Pedri recorded 123 touches, made four recoveries, won 100 percent of his duels, and got a match rating of 8.1, according to Sofascore.

“You only have to see how good he plays every three days for Barcelona” – Mikel Merino heaps praise on ‘genius’ teammate after 4-0 win over Bulgaria

In addition to Luis de La Fuente, Arsenal's Mikel Merino also made glowing remarks about Pedri following Spain’s commanding 4-0 victory over Bulgaria in their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.

When asked about Pedri’s impact after the match, in which the interviewer described the Barcelona midfielder as a ‘genius,’ Merino responded:

“You said it, he is a genius. You only have to see how good he plays every three days for Barcelona and the national team. He has absolute control over everything that’s going on on the pitch. So, it’s an absolute pleasure to play alongside him.” “Two very similar goals. Robin Le Normand, really smart in the box. Pedri with a lot of quality in that foot. You have to be alive, you have to be on your toes because you know when Pedri’s on the pitch, the ball can come to you.”

To date, Pedri has made 35 appearances for the Spanish national team, scoring five goals and providing five assists.

Edited by Ezekiel Olamide