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Barcelona’s Pedri Puts Champions League Glory Ahead of Ballon D’Or

Pedri of Spain takes his penalty kick during the penalty shoot out of the UEFA Nations League quarter finals second leg soccer match between Spain and the Netherlands, in Valencia, Spain, 23 March 2025. (EPA)
Pedri of Spain takes his penalty kick during the penalty shoot out of the UEFA Nations League quarter finals second leg soccer match between Spain and the Netherlands, in Valencia, Spain, 23 March 2025. (EPA)
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Barcelona’s Pedri Puts Champions League Glory Ahead of Ballon D’Or

Pedri of Spain takes his penalty kick during the penalty shoot out of the UEFA Nations League quarter finals second leg soccer match between Spain and the Netherlands, in Valencia, Spain, 23 March 2025. (EPA)
Pedri of Spain takes his penalty kick during the penalty shoot out of the UEFA Nations League quarter finals second leg soccer match between Spain and the Netherlands, in Valencia, Spain, 23 March 2025. (EPA)

Barcelona midfielder Pedri said he is putting team trophies ahead of individual accolades this season and would only want to be awarded the Ballon d'Or if his side won the Champions League and completed the treble.

Barcelona are on an 18-game unbeaten run in all competitions which has taken them to the top of LaLiga, the Champions League quarter-finals and the semis of the Copa del Rey.

"I would rather win the treble than the Ballon d'Or. If the Ballon d'Or comes, I want it to come alongside the collective titles," he told local media on Monday.

"Being nominated is a dream, but winning the trophies is more important to me. We are at a time where everything is at stake. You can lose three games and be out of the three titles."

The 22-year-old said it was important to meet the challenges head on and would look forward to a Champions League final against fierce rivals Real Madrid if they both made it.

"We must continue to enjoy these matches to get the best outcome. I would certainly welcome a Champions League final against Real Madrid - it would mean we made it." he added.

"You can't be afraid of any opponent."

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Bayern Munich's Hiroki Itō Suffers Recurrence of Foot Injury

Bayern Munich's Japanese defender #21 Hiroki Ito plays the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and St Pauli in Munich, southern Germany on March 29, 2025. (Photo by Alexandra BEIER / AFP)
Bayern Munich's Japanese defender #21 Hiroki Ito plays the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and St Pauli in Munich, southern Germany on March 29, 2025. (Photo by Alexandra BEIER / AFP)
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Bayern Munich's Hiroki Itō Suffers Recurrence of Foot Injury

Bayern Munich's Japanese defender #21 Hiroki Ito plays the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and St Pauli in Munich, southern Germany on March 29, 2025. (Photo by Alexandra BEIER / AFP)
Bayern Munich's Japanese defender #21 Hiroki Ito plays the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and St Pauli in Munich, southern Germany on March 29, 2025. (Photo by Alexandra BEIER / AFP)

Bayern Munich defender Hiroki Itō is out indefinitely with another serious foot injury, adding to the team’s defensive woes ahead of its Champions League quarterfinal against Inter Milan.
The Bavarian powerhouse said Sunday that Itō suffered a recurrence of a fracture in his right metatarsal during Bayern’s 3-2 win over St. Pauli in the Bundesliga on Saturday, The Associated Press reported. Itō had gone on as a substitute and was unable to finish the game, leaving Bayern, which had used all of its substitutes, a player short for the final minutes.
Itō, who joined Bayern from league rival Stuttgart before the season, first suffered the injury in a pre-season warmup game against Düren. There was a setback during his comeback in November, necessitating another operation. The Japan defender finally made his comeback in February, playing in six Bundesliga games and two Champions League matches.
“He’s only just battled back after months of rehab and will now be out for a long time again – we can barely imagine how he’s feeling,” board member for sport Max Eberl said. “He’ll get all the support he needs from us.”
Last week, Bayern had defenders Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano ruled out with knee injuries sustained on international duty.
“We’ve now lost a third defender in a short space of time,” Eberl said. “We will now pool our forces even more to continue pursuing our goals.”
Bayern, which leads the Bundesliga by six points with seven rounds remaining, hosts Inter for the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on April 8, with the second leg in Milan on April 16.