Pedri Recalls “Shock” of Lionel Messi’s Barcelona Exit

Barcelona midfielder Pedri has admitted he was stunned when club legend Lionel Messi left the Camp Nou in 2021, describing the moment as “hard to believe.”

Messi, a product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, had risen from promising youngster to global icon, winning every major honour with the club and earning a place among football’s greatest players. But after financial difficulties prevented Barcelona from renewing his contract, the Argentine left as a free agent, ending a two-decade chapter in Catalonia.

Pedri, who joined Barcelona from Las Palmas in 2019, spent two seasons alongside Messi, making 47 appearances together. Speaking to France Football (as quoted by Mundo Deportivo), the Spanish international reflected on their time on the pitch:

“I always passed the ball to Messi. Clearly, he was better than me. It was a shock when Leo Messi left. I was playing in the Olympics, and I found it hard to believe.”

After leaving Barcelona, Messi joined Paris Saint-Germain, winning Ligue 1 twice in two seasons, before moving to Inter Miami in 2023 as a free agent.

Opinion:
Pedri’s comments are more than just nostalgia — they capture the disbelief felt by millions of Barcelona fans when Messi’s departure became reality. For a generation of players and supporters, Messi wasn’t just a teammate or a club icon; he was Barcelona’s identity stitched into every game.

The young midfielder’s instinct to “always pass the ball to Messi” says a lot about the hierarchy and trust Messi commanded on the pitch. It also highlights the transitional challenge Barça faced: moving from a Messi-centric era to a future where others must carry the creative burden.

And while Barcelona have been rebuilding, Messi’s absence is still felt — not just in goals and assists, but in the aura he brought to every match. For players like Pedri, the memory is bittersweet: an honour to have played with the best, but a reminder that even legends eventually move on.