Raphinha Hails One Barcelona Teammate as the Team’s Most Important Player

Barcelona forward Raphinha has heaped praise on teammate Pedri, calling him the most important player on the team. 

Raphinha has claimed that Pedri’s impact is beyond statistics, as he contributes to every aspect of the game.

Raphinha Claims Pedri Is the Most Important Player at Barcelona

Barcelona have performed at an admirable level since Hansi Flick took charge of the club at the start of the 2024/25 season. The Blaugrana won LaLiga, Supercopa de Espana, and the Copa del Rey last season and reached the semi-final of the Champions League.

This season, they have won the Supercopa de Espana, are leading the LaLiga title race, are in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, and have secured automatic qualification to the Champions League Round of 16.

Finishing fifth in the UCL league table has significantly boosted Barcelona’s Champions League earnings.

Raphinha has arguably been Barca’s most impactful forward in the last couple of seasons, chipping in with 47 goals and 31 assists in 78 appearances.

Despite contributing to one goal per game since the start of the 2024/25 season, Raphinha does not see himself as the most important player in the team.

Raphinha on Pedri: “Pedri assists, scores goals and so on, but he can control the game in a way that most players don’t understand. He knows when to attack, when to slow down, when to speed up. For me, he’s a very complete player who doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.” pic.twitter.com/BJLMxB1ern

— Barça Notes (@BarcaNotes) January 29, 2026

In an interview with Sofascore, Raphinha explained why Pedri was Barcelona’s most important player.

“Pedri is everywhere. He defends, attacks, and creates.

“For us, he’s the most important player on the field. He makes the key pass before the assist. It doesn’t count statistically, but it’s spectacular.”

Pedri and Raphinha have played together 123 times for Barcelona, linking up for seven goals (Raphinha 5, Pedri 2). The number could have been higher had Pedri not struggled with injuries this season.

Pedri’s Fitness Has Limited His Continuity This Season

Pedri has been one of the first names on Hansi Flick’s team sheet. He serves as the controller in the middle, dictating tempo, helping the team in maintaining their shape, and occasionally chipping in with goals and assists.

In Flick’s first season, Pedri played all possible matches for the Blaugrana, recording six goals and eight assists in 59 matches. This season, he has already faced multiple injury setbacks.

He missed a month of football after suffering a muscular injury towards the end of October. In December, he missed one league match with a calf issue.

Pedri’s touch and pass #UCL pic.twitter.com/q4cByggLmQ

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) December 11, 2025

Last week, he suffered a hamstring injury in the victory over Slavia Prague in the Champions League, prompting questions over how many Barcelona matches Pedri might miss.

So far, Barcelona have managed well without their star midfielder, winning both matches. But Flick would undoubtedly be eager to get Pedri back on the pitch as soon as possible.