2022 World Cup Top Players: Spain
Teen Phenom Pedri Carries Weighty Expectations
Golden Boy
From 2008 and 2012, Spain won two European Championships and one World Cup. They haven’t played the Grand Finale of either tournament since then. At Brazil 2014, they were eliminated in the Group Stage of the World Cup.
Something had to change, and Luis Enrique made it possible. The 52-year-old head coach took over in 2018, right after Spain was eliminated from Russia 2018 in the Round of 16. He has given an opportunity for a lot of young players, including Pedri, whom many consider Lionel Messi’s heir at Barcelona.
It’s time to forget about Iker Casillas, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol, to name a few, and focus on the present. La Roja is among the soccer betting favorites to win the 2022 WC, and the 19-year-old Pedri has a lot to do with that.
Let’s check out the latest World Cup odds & lines. We’ve got plenty of strategies for you to consider before selecting your picks from our odds to win the World Cup list.
Humble Beginning
Contrary to what many believe, Pedri isn’t a product of La Masia, Barcelona’s youth academy. Before signing his first professional contract with Las Palmas, he played for CF Juventud Laguna. Las Palmas, which is a second-division team, gave him a four-year contract in 2019.
Pedri wasted no time showing his skills, scoring his first goal only one month after making his debut. He became the youngest goal scorer in Las Palmas history. He was almost two months away from turning 17.
He kept playing at a high level. That made Barcelona and Real Madrid set eyes on him, and after a brief dispute, Los Azulgranas convinced him to sign with them.
Big Leagues
Pedri made his debut with Barcelona in the 2020-21 season. Overall, he played in 52 games and scored four goals. His first goal for the club was in his UEFA Champions League debut against Ferencvaros. Less than a month later, he scored his first goal in La Liga against Real Betis.
The first trophy of his senior career was the Copa del Rey title. Pedri didn’t score but contributed a lot for Barca to crush Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in the Grand Finale. He reached his 50th game with the team at only 18 years and 164 days, becoming the second youngest player to reach that milestone.
Barcelona wasted no time and offered Pedri a new contract. Believe it or not, the new agreement included a $1.57 billion release clause. Yes, he’s that good. In fact, he’s so good that one month after signing his new contract, he won the Golden Boy, an award that’s given by sports journalists to the best young soccer player in Europe.
The first edition of the award was in 2003. Since then, only three Spanish players have won it: Cesc Fabregas in 2006, Isco Alarcon in 2012 and Pedri in 2021.
Despite having signed superstars such as Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, Pedri is expected to have a key role at Barcelona in the upcoming season. Los Azulgranas are offering a +135 price in the sportsbook to dethrone Real Madrid as La Liga champions.
National Team
Pedri played some games with Spain’s Under-21 team, but Enrique didn’t let that last long. He included him on the 24-man squad for the 2020 Euro Championships. Later, he became the youngest player ever to represent Spain at the continental tournament.
He contributed a lot for Spain to reach the semifinals, and that didn’t go unnoticed. He was voted Young Player of the Tournament and was the only Spanish player to be included in the Team of the Tournament.
Spain in Qatar 2022
As mentioned before, La Roja (+800) is among the favorites to win the 22nd edition of the World Cup. However, it won’t be easy. First of all, they’ll face Germany, Japan and Costa Rica, which many consider to be the Group of Death. They’re in control of the soccer lines to win Group E with a -120 price. Second of all, Spain’s squad is very young. Yes, that can be seen as a blessing, but it can also become a problem, especially in the knockout stages.
