Pedri is the new Barça number '8'

Midfielder Pedri is getting a new number for the 2022/23 season as he will swap the '16' he has worn since his arrival at the Barça in the summer of 2020 for the number '8'. 

The celebrate on Friday 8 July the blaugrana star will be at the Calanetes Barça Store in the centre of Barcelona from 10am CEST to 10.45am CEST to sign autographs and take photos with fans as he shows off his new jersey number. 

The number '8' and its history

The shirt number '8' was worn by Dani Alves in the second half of last season and other notable players to have graced this particular jersey included Guillermo Amor, Hristo Stoichkov, Albert Celades, Phillip Cocu, Arthur Melo and Miralem Pjanic. The number is most closely linked, however, to a Barça legend and hero of Pedri's, Andrés Iniesta. 

Now the number eight shirt will belong to the midfielder from Tenerife, already one of the key members of the Barça squad and the Spanish national side despite hs young age. 

Pedri became the second youngest player to reach 50 games for the first team, only behind Bojan Krkic, and claimed the Golden Boy award and the Kopa Trophy in his first season with the blaugranes. 

His second campaign with Barça was hampered by injury but he still remained an important presence for both club and country. Pedri will surely remain vital in the future for both teams also, but from now on in the number 8 shirt for the blaugranes.