Pedri Reveals Why Lamine Yamal Left the Bench 'A Bit Upset' After Spain Beat Croatia

Lamine Yamal may have been one of the standout performers of Spain's international break, but the teenage forward still walked away from the latest Nations League win over Croatia feeling frustrated — and Pedri knows exactly why.

The Barcelona midfielder admitted that his club and international team-mate was unhappy with his own display, even in victory, because of the sky-high standards he sets for himself.

A demanding talent

Yamal headed into the Croatia fixture in fine form, having scored three times and grabbed an assist across three games for Spain during the international break, but he could not find the back of the net in the Nations League meeting.

Speaking about his team-mate's reaction, Pedri told AS that the young winger had set his own bar extremely high.

"He's a very demanding player, he always wants to score."

Pedri was quick to stress that the frustration was not a reflection of a poor performance, describing Yamal as a player who beats himself up when he fails to convert the chances he creates.

"He played another great game. He lacked accuracy, that finesse he's shown in previous matches. He gets very angry when he plays well and wastes those chances we saw him create. Yes, he went to the bench a bit upset," he said, per AS.

More than goals and assists

Pedri also underlined that Yamal's value to Spain extends well beyond his output in front of goal, pointing to the attention he attracts from opposition defenders.

"He's a very demanding player, he always wants to score, he always wants to contribute to the team. Even if he doesn't score or provide assists, he contributes a lot because he attracts a lot of players. He's a game-changer who gives us so much, and luckily we have him in the national team and at Barça."

Spain's win over Croatia came during a Nations League campaign in which La Roja have been in imperious form, extending a historic unbeaten run that was reported to have reached 40 matches on September 30, 2026.

Back to Barcelona duty

Yamal now returns to Catalonia, where he will look to carry his early-season form into Barcelona's La Liga fixture against Getafe on Saturday under head coach Hansi Flick.

The numbers underline just how prolific the teenager has been for his club so far. Across the opening weeks of the 2026-27 season, Yamal has registered eight goals and six assists in eight matches in all competitions.

For Pedri, the frustration shown by his team-mate is simply part of what makes him so dangerous — a competitor who expects to score every time he steps onto the pitch.