Barcelona midfield maestro’s quirky pre-match ritual involves kissing bald staff for luck | OneFootball

Pedri Gonzalez has become a cornerstone of the FC Barcelona squad since his breakout in 2020. At just 22, the Canary Islander’s vision, composure, and technical brilliance have drawn comparisons to club legends and earned praise from even the fiercest rivals, including Real Madrid icon Toni Kroos.

Yet, beyond his on-pitch exploits, Pedri is making headlines for a quirky personal habit that’s as endearing as it is unusual.

In a sport where players cling to lucky socks, pre-game playlists, or special handshakes to get in the zone, Pedri has a ritual so unique it’s become the talk of the terraces. It’s quirky, it’s heartfelt, and it’s pure Pedri. Here’s the story behind the Barcelona star’s bizarre pre-match habit.

A Bald Ambition

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Before every match, as highlighted by AS, Pedri hunts down a bald member of Barça’s technical staff to plant a kiss on their head. It’s his good-luck charm, a ritual he swears by and hasn’t missed once. He can’t explain where it originated, but his admiration for bald individuals runs deep.

It all started as a kid, idolizing Andrés Iniesta, the legendary midfielder whose shiny scalp caught Pedri’s eye. As a child, he even told his dad he wanted Iniesta’s “hairstyle.”

That childhood obsession stuck, and now, as per the report from AS, Pedri dreams of going bald himself one day. For him, it’s more than a quirk, it’s a nod to the player who inspired him and a ritual that gets him ready to shine.

From Promise to Pitch

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

Pedri’s love for bald heads doesn’t stop at kisses. Despite his full head of hair, he’s taken a trimmer to it twice: once during his first season at Barça and again after Spain’s 2024 Euro win, fulfilling a vow to shave if the team took the title.

On the pitch, he’s paid tribute to his ritual with a goal celebration mimicking a head shave, a shoutout to his bald cousin watching from the stands.

The ritual seems to be working. Pedri’s been electric this season, helping FC Barcelona clinch three trophies with his silky play. Whether he’ll go bald for good is anyone’s guess, but for now, his lucky charm is keeping the magic alive.