A year ago the 18-year-old was playing the second division – now he is ‘the present and future of the national team’
There was a moment 101 minutes into the wet, wild Wembley night in which Spain lost a place in the final but found a future when Pedri dribbled around the referee. Why? Because he had to and because, well, why not? Because he can, neatly finding his way beyond Felix Brych just as he repeatedly found a way to escape much tougher men. A shift of his weight and the Spaniard wriggled free to play another pass. To complete it too.
Of course. The semi-final between Spain and Italy was well into extra time and still Pedri hadn’t put a pass or foot wrong. It wasn’t just the fact that he had completed every pass when 90 minutes came, the 65 completed of 67 by full time – a third more than any Italy player – and it certainly wasn’t because he spent the night playing safe; it was the smoothness, the awareness, the balance, the ease of it all, socks low, body too. It was everything. By then, though, it felt like nothing too. Standing on the halfway line, Gerard Moreno to his right, Dani Olmo to his left, Pedri watched Jorginho roll in the decisive penalty and broke down. Spain had been denied the chance to return in five days, although their manager insisted they would be back not long after.
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