Messi's remarkable record at Barca has officially been surpassed

Pedri continues to cement his central role in Barcelona's new era by officially surpassing Lionel Messi in a historic La Liga milestone.

According to statistics from OptaJose, Pedri has become the youngest player in Barcelona's history to reach 150 La Liga appearances, achieving this at 23 years and 18 days old. This feat breaks the record previously held by Lionel Messi since October 2010, when the Argentine legend reached this milestone at 23 years and 121 days during a match against Real Zaragoza.

Unlike Messi's style, Pedri has made his mark in his own way and is now considered the most influential figure in Barcelona's lineup. Although not prominent in goals or assists, the 23-year-old midfielder plays a key role in both defense and playmaking, becoming an irreplaceable creative hub under coach Hansi Flick. Because of this, Pedri is expected to leave a historic legacy at Barcelona, leading the team toward their first Champions League title since Messi's era.

Nevertheless, Lionel Messi remains one of the greatest icons in Barcelona's history. Pedri breaking one of Messi's records does not diminish the incredible contributions of the Argentine superstar. Messi still holds the record for the most appearances in the club's history with 778 matches, and is also the all-time top scorer with 672 goals. Therefore, comparing Pedri to Messi is premature, as the Spanish midfielder is still gradually writing his own story.

Though lacking flashy statistics, Pedri remains a crucial link in Barcelona's tactical structure. He is present and impactful in attack, defense, and controlling the game's tempo from midfield. Recognizing this, legend Andrés Iniesta has openly praised his younger teammate.

Iniesta shared with Revista Barça: “I really admire Pedri. He is an extraordinary player. I appreciate Pedri because behind him is a story of effort and overcoming adversity... He is the kind of player who makes a difference, able to create plays that never existed before. Pedri delivers passes no one would expect because he has great talent and is gradually taking on an increasingly important role, both at Barcelona and with the Spanish national team..”

As the 2025-26 season approaches, Pedri has established himself as the most influential player at Barcelona. Whenever he is absent, the team's play immediately suffers disruption. Aware of this, coach Hansi Flick always includes Pedri among the core players, with 1,444 minutes played, despite the midfielder missing some matches due to injury. If he maintains consistent fitness, Barcelona has every reason to dream of conquering all trophies this season.