Pedri becomes first Barcelona player since Lionel Messi to win Golden Boy award

Barcelona's teenage sensation Pedri won the Golden Boy award ahead of Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham. This award is presented annually by Italian publication Tuttosport to Europe's best player aged 21 or under.

The Spanish youngster received 24 of the 40 first-place votes and won 318 points in total, while English teenager Bellingham finished on 119 points. This was the biggest difference in points between the winner and the runner-up in the award's history.

Pedri wins Golden Boy award ahead of Jude Bellingham

Pedri received the Golden Boy award on Monday, November 22, to become the first Barcelona player to win the prestigious award since Lionel Messi in 2005. The award will be given in a gala event that is scheduled to take place in Turin, Italy, on December 13. Meanwhile, one other player of the Catalan giants claimed an award, with Lieke Martens winning the Golden Player of 2021.

Pedri had one of the best years for a player of his age, as he played 52 times for Barcelona last season. Including international games, Pedri played 73 games overall, the most by any player in Europe's top 5 leagues this season. The 18-year old was also an integral part of the Spain squad that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020 as he won the best Young Player award. Soon after, he competed at the Tokyo Olympics, where he won the silver medal.

By winning the Golden Boy award, Pedri has joined a list of some outstanding players who have won the award previously. Some of the stars include Wayne Rooney (2004), Lionel Messi (2005), Sergio Aguero (2007) and Kylian Mbappe (2018). Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland won the award last season.

Barcelona fans would be delighted to know that they have a star for the future as the midfielder agreed on a long-term contract extension at the Camp Nou, which is set to run until the summer of 2026. After winning this award, the 18-year old also became the first player ever in history to be nominated for the Ballon D'Or, Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy in the same year.