Euro 2020: Pedri Gonzalez, Spain's masterful machine

Zero goals. Zero assists. Zero shots, on target or off. And one own-goal. These are some of the so-called "key" statistics for Pedri Gonzalez Lopez at Euro 2020, as of the end of the round of 16 stage. Those who have not watched Spain's matches closely may assume that the Barcelona starlet is having a bad tournament. They could not be more wrong.

Pedri has been instrumental for La Roja. This is evident from the fact that he is one of three players to have played every minute of Spain's campaign so far. The other two are centre-back Aymeric Laporte and goalkeeper Unai Simon. While it is common for goalkeepers and centre-backs to not miss a minute, players in Pedri's position (central midfield) often need more rest.

But, apparently, not him. Not only has the teenager played every minute, he has also run 46.9km, almost six kilometres more than any of his teammates. In fact, ahead of the quarterfinals, he was only behind Austria's Marcel Sabitzer and Sweden's Albin Ekdal in terms of distance covered. As both Austria and Sweden are out, Pedri is likely to top that chart by the end of the quarterfinals. This emphasises something truly remarkable about Pedri.

While he has the skill and vision to be compared to legends like Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, he also has the stamina and physical attributes more common among the less gifted, workman-like midfielders. Xavi and Iniesta were hardworking players, too. The difference is that Pedri can do this all day, every day.

This work ethic will be key for his development. Because it will help him tide over any deficiencies in his game in the short-term. Even if his form dips, managers would pick him to play because they know what he is capable of and that he will always work hard. The obvious worry then is whether he would be overplayed.

There has already been much discussion about this as Pedri has also been picked for Spain's Olympic squad. The games will begin soon after the Euros and Pedri is also coming off the back of a hectic season in which he has played more than 50 matches for Barcelona. He has said that he is not tired, amid reports that Barcelona do not want him going to Tokyo. Club legend Xavi has also said that Pedri should go to the Olympics.

Unlike Xavi and Iniesta, Pedri did not come through La Masia, Barcelona's famed youth academy. Born in Tegueste in the Canary Islands, Pedri broke through at Las Palmas, a team based in the archipelago. He was only 16 when he played his first senior match, in the Spanish second division in August 2019. Barcelona signed him within a month, for 5 million euros, plus add-ons. But, the move would be effective only in July 2020, allowing him to get plenty of game time at Las Palmas in 2019-2020 season.

He started the 2020-2021 season as a bright future prospect for Barcelona, but soon established himself as a first-team regular. Pedri formed an instant partnership with Lionel Messi, who had been starved of this kind of service since Xavi and Iniesta left. It probably helped Pedri that he had the GOAT (arguably) to feed so early in his career.

At Euro 2020, Pedri has proved his class time and again. The hype around him may be incomprehensible to the casual football fan. But, his contribution is not too difficult to see either. Even in the highlights of Spain's four matches till the round of 16, Pedri features prominently. He is, more often than not, the player who plays the pass just before the assist.

For one so young, Pedri has shown tremendous composure and character, too. Simon failed to collect a back-pass from him in the round of 16 match against Croatia, leading to an own-goal. It is easy for a teenager to lose his head after scoring an own-goal, but Pedri looked like he could not care less. Just 18 minutes after the own-goal, he broke the Croatian defensive line with a beautiful take and lob into the penalty box. Twelve seconds later, Spain scored.

Pedri is one of those masterful players whose contribution cannot be quantified. As he develops into the player that the football world knows he is capable of being, he could become something quite special. A midfield maestro who regularly puts in a shift. Just like his game, his likely impact on the future of football would be difficult to quantify.

But, years from now, if someone is wondering when the Pedri phenomenon started, we can proudly say that it was around 2020. And that we were among the ones lucky enough to witness his early exploits. Pedri, the young master, has well and truly arrived on the global stage. And he goes about his business like a machine. Relentless, in his pursuit of excellence.