Pedri was left out of Spain's starting line-up against Belgium, and there is now a very real chance he will be on the bench again when Spain meet France in Texas on Tuesday. Luis de la Fuente made the call for tactical reasons, a sharp change for a player who had started five straight matches at the 2026 World Cup.
The 23-year-old is not being dropped because he has vanished from the picture. He was among Spain's substitutes against Belgium, and he had already gone from a first-choice starter to a player whose role has become less certain as the tournament has gone on.
He created five chances in Spain's opening draw with Cape Verde, but that performance also became part of the debate around him because Spain did not turn those openings into victory. Since then, Pedri has been used in a deeper role, and the lack of goals or assists has given critics an easy target. Even some Real Madrid fans have seized on Jude Bellingham's scoring and assisting in contrast to Pedri's quieter influence.
That is the friction in Spain's midfield decision. Pedri is widely regarded as one of the most complete midfielders in the game, yet tactical balance has pushed him out of the XI while Rodri has returned to the Ballon d'Or-winning level that once made the pair look like the center of Spain's World Cup bid. De la Fuente has made clear he is not thinking in terms of reputations. “What matters is the team,” he said, adding that “Only 11 can play,” and that “Everyone is important, even those who haven't played.”
For now, that leaves Pedri in a fight to start a match that could decide whether Spain reaches the World Cup semi-final. The safest reading is that de la Fuente trusts the shape that has carried Spain this far, even if it means one of their most gifted midfielders waits again for his chance when France arrive in Texas.
