There are few that would doubt the quality and prestige of Barcelona and their youth academy. La Masia has long been credited as being one of the finest football academies in the world. Having produced many of the game’s greats, including multiple Ballon d’Or winners and finalists, La Masia remains unparalleled.
Another young Pedro
Yet again, however, it seems that the influx of young players is not going to stop. Within the walls of La Masia, as highlighted by Spanish outlet SPORT, Barcelona have found another young pearl currently in development.
Sharing a name with one of Barça’s most successful icons, young ‘Pedro Rodriquez’ Iglesias is a young teenager striving to make his name in the Blaugrana colors. Initially, he arrived from Granada in 2019. At that point, the youngster was aged only 12. His early days at La Masia were rather slow and conserved.
Already slightly younger than his peers and observing the talents of other promising youngsters, the fear of failure and intimidation were understandably cruel factors in disabling Pedro from showing his best qualities.
The youngster ascends
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, young Pedro had to wait almost a year before reaching Infantil B. Reunited with old teammates and coached by Albert Puig, the player displayed his best football yet. Playing as an ‘8’ and a ‘10’, the player found his calling in those positions and truly found the faith of La Masia.
Then, once he entered the realms of Cadet B and Cadet A, he continued this development. The youngster became a true midfield enigma and master. Versatility, control of the ball, and an overall understanding of the game were all key aspects of his game that reached their peak.
Already having debuted with the Juvenil B side, the youngster has showcased immense potential. While SPORT believes his ceiling is still undetermined, his current progression shows promise. Young Pedro Rodriguez could become a great asset at Barcelona if he keeps developing as per his current trajectory.