Real Madrid fans have caught a fever of comparing their players to Barca players this season. The football media have only encouraged such behaviour because it brings more views. People are comparing players to our players only because they wear a white jersey. One of these delusional debates is Pedri vs Fede Valverde, so let’s dismantle it. (All stats in this post are La Liga stats and are from FotMob and FBref)
Passing and ball progression
Pedri is without a doubt the best in the world in this attribute, but let’s look at the numbers.
| Attributes | Pedri | Valverde |
| Passes per 90 | 66.9 | 58.8 |
| Progressive carries | 72 | 50 |
| Progressive passes | 264 | 172 |
| Passes into the final 3rd | 232 | 175 |
Chance creation and playmaking
A pretentious claim Real Madrid fans make is that Valverde is just as good, if not better than Pedri, when it comes to playmaking and creating chances, just because they have the same number of assists. A deeper look at the stats reveals something else.
| Attributes | Pedri | Valverde |
| Chances created | 51 | 31 |
| Big chances created | 12 | 6 |
| Shot creating actions | 109 | 68 |
Defensive abilities
Fede Valverde is world-class when it comes to defending in the middle of the park. However, Pedri is extremely underrated in this aspect as his efforts on the pitch go under the radar.
| Attributes | Pedri | Valverde |
| Possession won in midfield per 90 | 4.5 | 2.5 |
| Possession won in the final 3rd per 90 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Ball Recoveries | 186 | 133 |
| Tackles + Interceptions | 70 | 89 |
Any sincere football fan would not compare Pedri with Valverde just because he plays for Real Madrid. In my Opinion, Pedri is not just the best midfielder in the world, he is the best player in the world. If Barca goes on to win big this season, Pedri will deserve the Ballon d’Or just as much as Raphinha.