Barcelona's Pedri claimed the 2021 European Golden Boy award after a stellar 12 months; the 18-year-old was also named in the Euro 2020 team of the tournament and won a silver medal with Spain at the Olympics; Jude Bellingham finished second in voting
Monday 22 November 2021 12:23, UK
Barcelona midfielder Pedri has won the 2021 European Golden Boy award, beating Borussia Dortmund and England's Jude Bellingham into second place.
The 18-year-old claimed the prize, which is presented annually by Italian publication Tuttosport to a European-based player aged 21 or under.
Bellingham's inclusion as part of the England squad that made the final of Euro 2020, as well as his strong performances in the Bundesliga, were not enough to see him win top spot in the vote.
Pedri secured 24 of the 40 first-place votes and 318 total points, with Bellingham finishing on 119 points, following a vote by a panel of football journalists.
He joins other former high-profile winners of the award, such as Wayne Rooney (2004), Lionel Messi (2005), Sergio Aguero (2007), Paul Pogba (2013), Raheem Sterling (2014) and Kylian Mbappe (2018).
The accolade caps a whirlwind year for Pedri, who joined Barcelona from Las Palmas in 2020, before going on to be named in the Euro 2020 team of the tournament and then win a silver medal with Spain at the Tokyo Olympics.
Last month, the midfielder agreed a new long-term contract extension at the Nou Camp, with his new deal running until the summer of 2026.
