FC Barcelona's 3-1 victory against Vissel Kobe in the first match of the Asian tour corresponding to the 2025/26 preseason, where Pedro 'Dro' Fernández scored the third goal to seal the match, has made football fans wonder who this player is and where he came from.
Before going any further, learn a little more about the player. 'Dro' is not as well known as other talents because he arrives at the first team for the preseason alternating minutes between Juvenil B and A in the 2024/25 campaign.
The 17-year-old player is originally from Nigrán, in the province of Pontevedra. Dro Fernández took his first football steps at the Val Miñor Nigrán School.
He arrived at Barça in the summer of 2022, being one of the most outstanding players of Cadete B and later debuted with Cadete A. It should be noted that with Juvenil A he managed to conquer LaLiga, Copa and the UEFA Youth League, becoming a 'pearl' of La Masía.
Likewise, his technical profile makes him a versatile piece, since, although his natural position is attacking midfielder, he can also play as a false '9', inside midfielder or winger.
He is known as 'Dro' because his father is also called Pedro, so his brother decided to call him that to differentiate him from his father. His mother is Filipino, while his father is Galician.
Goal and message: Dro Fernández knocks on the door of the first team
In this sense, in the 79th minute of the match, 'Dro' made his expected debut with the first team, entering the field of play as a substitute for Marcus Rashford.
In just a few minutes on the pitch, the youth player showed glimpses of his talent and fully justified the confidence that coach Hansi Flick has placed in him.
And, in fact, his goal came in the 88th minute when Jules Koundé launched a ball to Dani Olmo, who failed to control the ball in the area and a failed clearance attempt by the Vissel Kobe defender left the ball served on the edge of the area, where 'Dro' connected first-time with an accurate shot that went into the back of the net.
In this way, in principle, with few minutes he begins to knock on the door of the first team. And, if he has a great preseason, he could become another player in the first team.
'Dro' Fernández, a player who excites Hansi Flick
The German coach summoned the midfielder for the last training session of the 2024/25 season, prior to the match against Athletic Club de Bilbao, being pleasantly surprised by what the player showed on that occasion.
Weeks later he called him again to train with the first team players, with the intention of earning a place in the preseason squad, something that ended up happening and has already begun to yield good results.