A day after Lionel Messi bid an emotional farewell to international football, his former Barcelona teammate Pedro Rodriguez has also called time on his illustrious career, with the Spain great retiring at the age of 39 after winning 25 major trophies.Pedro, who played alongside Messi during Barcelona’s golden era, announced his retirement on Wednesday, bringing the curtain down on a 20-year career that saw him lift the FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship and Champions League.The Tenerife-born forward had been a free agent since leaving Lazio when his contract expired in July. He said he felt the time was right to begin a new chapter after a career that took him from Barcelona’s academy to the summit of European and international football.“I feel it is time. The time to take a step forward and begin a new chapter in my life,” Pedro said in a statement on social media.“I leave proud of having lived my dream and of all the people who stood by my side to make it a reality. Thank you, football, for making me so happy.”
World Cup, Euro and Champions League glory
Pedro broke into Barcelona’s first team in 2008 and became a key member of Pep Guardiola’s outstanding side. He won 20 major trophies with the Catalan giants before moving to Chelsea in 2015.One of the defining moments of his Barcelona career came in the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley, when Pedro opened the scoring in a 3-1 victory over Manchester United.He was also part of the Barcelona side that completed an extraordinary sextuple in 2009. During the 2009-10 season, Pedro became the first player to score in all six official competitions contested by the club in a single campaign — La Liga, Copa del Rey, Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup and Club World Cup.At Chelsea, Pedro added the Premier League title to his collection during the 2016-17 season.His international career was equally decorated.Pedro was a key member of Spain’s squad that won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, starting the final as Spain defeated the Netherlands 1-0 after extra time. Two years later, he helped La Roja win Euro 2012.
794 club appearances, 25 major trophies
After leaving Chelsea, Pedro spent a season at Roma before crossing the Italian capital to join Lazio. He spent the final five years of his career with the club before becoming a free agent in July.Across his club career, Pedro made 794 appearances and scored 197 goals. He also represented Spain 65 times, scoring 17 goals.His trophy cabinet includes 25 major honours, headlined by a World Cup, European Championship and three Champions League titles.Pedro’s retirement comes just one day after Messi, his former Barcelona teammate and one of the central figures of his greatest years at Camp Nou, played his final match for Argentina.Together, they were part of a Barcelona side that dominated European football and collected trophies under Guardiola and his successors.Now, with Messi having closed one chapter of his international career and Pedro ending his own 20-year journey in the game, another member of Barcelona’s golden generation has taken his final bow.
