Lionel Messi’s Long-Held Barcelona Record Broken as Hansi Flick Favourite Makes History in Osasuna Win

Pedri Breaks Lionel Messi Record in Barcelona’s Osasuna Victory Under Hansi Flick

There are some records at Barcelona that feel untouchable. Not because they are written in stone, but because they are tied so closely to Lionel Messi that imagining anyone else’s name next to them feels almost wrong. For nearly two decades, Messi didn’t just dominate Barcelona’s history books — he owned them.

And yet, on a calm La Liga afternoon against Osasuna, one of those long-held marks finally fell.

As Barcelona ground out a 2-0 win over Osasuna, a result that quietly but firmly strengthened their position at the top of La Liga, Pedri stepped into a piece of club history that once belonged solely to Messi. At just 23 years and 18 days old, the Canary Islander became the youngest player ever to reach 150 La Liga appearances for Barcelona, overtaking the Argentine icon.

It wasn’t a night of fireworks or headline-grabbing drama. It didn’t need to be. In many ways, the nature of the moment suited Pedri perfectly: understated, intelligent, and built on control rather than chaos. Just like his football.

Barcelona Control Osasuna as Pedri Pulls the Strings

Barcelona knew before kick-off that this was the kind of fixture that could define a title race. Osasuna arrived with a plan to frustrate, to slow the tempo, to turn the game into something uncomfortable. These are the matches that decide championships — not the glamorous nights, but the gritty ones.

Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona have learned to embrace that reality.

The Catalans eventually came away with a 2-0 victory, thanks to goals from Raphinha, whose sharpness in the final third once again proved decisive. But while the Brazilian delivered the moments that changed the scoreboard, the rhythm of the game belonged elsewhere.

It belonged to Pedri.

Deployed at the base of Flick’s evolving double-pivot system, Pedri operated in a role that feels increasingly natural for him. Gone are the days where he is simply a gifted interior midfielder drifting between lines. Now, he is becoming something more complete — a conductor who sets the tempo, manages space, and decides when Barcelona accelerate or slow the game down.

Osasuna tried to disrupt that rhythm. They pressed selectively, sat deep in phases, and attempted to break up play. But time and again, Pedri provided calm solutions. A simple turn under pressure. A disguised pass through traffic. A decision made half a second quicker than everyone else on the pitch.

It wasn’t flashy. It was authoritative.

Pedri Breaks a Lionel Messi Record That Meant More Than Numbers

FC Barcelona v CA Osasuna – LaLiga EA Sports

When the final whistle blew, the headlines quickly followed: Pedri breaks Lionel Messi’s Barcelona record.

According to Opta, Pedri’s appearance against Osasuna took him to 150 La Liga games for Barcelona, achieved at a younger age than Messi managed the same feat. It is a statistic that immediately grabs attention, not because it diminishes Messi’s legacy — nothing ever could — but because of what it says about Pedri’s consistency.

At a club where young players are often overwhelmed by expectation, Pedri has simply… played. Week after week. Season after season. Through managerial changes, tactical upheaval, and an era of transition that has tested Barcelona’s identity.

Breaking a Messi record at Barcelona is never “just a record”. It carries symbolic weight. Messi was the benchmark for longevity, excellence, and trust from the club at a young age. For Pedri to surpass him in this category speaks volumes about how central he has already become to Barcelona’s story.

And importantly, it hasn’t happened by accident.

Praise from the Dressing Room: ‘Give the Ball to Pedri’

Inside the Barcelona camp, Pedri’s importance is not debated — it’s accepted.

After the Osasuna win, Eric Garcia summed it up with refreshing honesty and a hint of humour.

“We knew it was going to be a very tight game. We lacked rhythm in our passing. In the end, against these teams, if you don’t move the ball quickly, it’s tough.”

Then came the line that really mattered:

“When things get complicated, give the ball to Pedri, and he solves everything.”

That sentence could easily be brushed aside as a throwaway comment, but it captures Pedri’s role perfectly. He is Barcelona’s pressure valve. When games become messy, when structure starts to fray, he is the player teammates instinctively look for.

Hansi Flick, meanwhile, was even more direct.

“Pedri is a fantastic player, top class. What can I say about him? He’s an absolutely amazing player.”

Coming from a coach who has worked with elite midfielders at Bayern Munich and with the German national team, that praise carries real weight.

Why Hansi Flick Has Built His Midfield Around Pedri

Flick’s arrival has subtly reshaped Pedri’s responsibilities. While previous coaches often used him higher up the pitch, Flick has recognised something crucial: Pedri’s greatest strength might not be where he finishes moves, but where he starts them.

By placing him deeper, Flick gives Barcelona a midfielder who can:

• Escape pressure in tight areas

• Control tempo in difficult away games

• Protect the defence through possession

• Dictate transitions rather than react to them

It’s no coincidence that Barcelona look calmer this season when Pedri is fit. He doesn’t dominate games by force. He dominates them by intelligence.

And that intelligence is exactly why Flick trusts him.

From Las Palmas to Breaking Messi Records

It’s easy to forget just how quickly Pedri’s Barcelona journey accelerated.

Signed from Las Palmas in 2020, he was expected to be a long-term project. Instead, he became a starter almost immediately. During the 2020-21 season, he made 52 appearances, helping Barcelona lift the Copa del Rey and shouldering an extraordinary workload for a teenager.

That momentum carried into international football. Pedri starred at Euro 2020, earning the Young Player of the Tournament award, before representing Spain at the Tokyo Olympics. The accolades followed quickly: Golden Boy, Kopa Trophy, and endless comparisons to Andrés Iniesta.

Those comparisons were flattering, but also dangerous. Expectations soared. And then came the injuries.

Injuries, Setbacks and a Stronger Return

The last few seasons haven’t been smooth. Muscle injuries disrupted Pedri’s rhythm and forced Barcelona to manage him carefully. At times, it felt as though his development might stall under the weight of physical setbacks.

But under Flick, something has shifted.

Pedri looks stronger. Smarter with his movement. More selective with his energy. At just 23, he has already passed 220 appearances for Barcelona in all competitions, an astonishing number that underlines his importance.

Breaking Messi’s La Liga appearance record at this age doesn’t feel like an endpoint. It feels like confirmation that Pedri has come through the hardest phase of his career and emerged more complete.

Pedri and Barcelona’s Title Push

SL Benfica v FC Barcelona – UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 First Leg

As Barcelona push deeper into the decisive phase of the season, Pedri’s availability could be the difference between success and regret.

Title races are won in March and April, not just in August and September. Having a midfielder who understands when to take risks — and when not to — is invaluable. Flick knows it. The players know it. And increasingly, opponents do too.

With assists in three consecutive league games and a growing leadership role, Pedri is no longer just the future of Barcelona’s midfield.

He is its present.

A Record Broken, a Legacy Beginning

Lionel Messi’s shadow will always loom large over Barcelona. That’s unavoidable. But moments like this remind us that football history doesn’t stop — it evolves.

Pedri breaking a Messi record in a Barcelona win over Osasuna, under Hansi Flick, feels symbolic. Not because Pedri is “the next Messi” — he isn’t, and doesn’t need to be — but because he represents continuity.

Barcelona are still producing players who understand the club’s DNA. Players who value control, intelligence, and responsibility. Players who make history quietly, without demanding attention.

Pedri didn’t celebrate the record. He just played his game.

And that might be the most Barcelona thing of all.