Rodri is back to his Ballon d'Or-winning best for Spain - but Pedri’s poor performances are a cause for concern ahead of World Cup semi-final showdown with France

A central midfield pairing of Rodri and Pedri was deemed one of the main reasons why Spain could add a world title to the European crown they claimed in Germany two years ago. However, while Rodri has got back to his Ballon d'Or-winning best during La Roja's run to the last four in North America, Pedri's performances have become the subject of great debate back home.

The Las Palmas product created five chances in their disappointing tournament-opening draw with Cape Verde - more than any other player on the pitch - but, in a reflection of just how high the bar has been set for him, he was nonetheless criticised for failing to inspire his country to victory.

Cape Verde's subsequent results have cast Spain's scoreless showing in a less unfavourable light, but Pedri's lack of end product has come under greater scrutiny the longer the tournament has gone on.

While Jude Bellingham and Pedri are obviously very different players, and the latter has been playing in a deeper role, Real Madrid fans have taken great glee out of repeatedly pointing out that their man is lighting up the World Cup with one decisive display after another while Barcelona's principal playmaker is surprisingly struggling to impact games.

It's all a little simplistic and reductive, of course, but the bottom line is all that matters these days, and whereas Bellingham is both scoring and creating goals, Pedri is doing neither.

Luis de la Fuente's decision to drop Pedri still came as a surprise, after five consecutive starts at the 2026 World Cup - and nine in total, dating back to Qatar. However, the Euros-winning coach quite correctly pointed out that Spain's squad is stacked with top talent, and particularly in midfield.

Indeed, De la Fuente flagged that Mikel Merino arguably had greater cause for complaint after being left on the bench again despite scoring a late winner against Portugal in the previous round - and yet the Arsenal star didn't sulk. He simply repeated the feat in the 2-1 victory over Belgium.

"It's unfair ​that Mikel doesn't play from the start, but it would also be unfair if someone else were ​left out," De la Fuente told reporters. "Only 11 can play, and they understand that – the role they have to play at any given moment. When they take to the pitch, they know what they have to do; ​that's why it's a pleasure to be their manager.

"What matters is the team. It ⁠doesn't matter who starts the match. Everyone is important, even those who haven't played."

There's been nothing to suggest that Pedri has thrown his toys out of the pram over his demotion. "He's taken it well," Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon revealed to reporters after the Belgium game. "We all want to play but, in the end, there isn't room for everyone.

"How must David (Raya) and Joan (Garcia) feel knowing they're world-class goalkeepers? Everyone wants to play, but everyone wants to win the World Cup. So, when it's your turn to accept that role, you do it."

What role, though, will Pedri be asked to play against France? He certainly didn't impress as a substitute against Belgium, butchering a late breakaway with an unusually imprecise pass, while Fabian Ruiz certainly has a real chance of holding onto his starting berth after scoring Spain's opener in Los Angeles, and, as Simon said, the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder is "also an immense talent" - and one that has just "won two Champions Leagues in a row".

Of course, Pedri is also a joy to behold on his day. Few players can win the ball back with such regularity - or distribute it with such accuracy. But we've certainly not seen the best of him yet at the World Cup, and that may well be because De la Fuente believes that there are essentially two different versions of Pedri; the one that plays for Spain, and the one that plays for Barcelona.

"Pedri is a class player, one of the best in the world, if not the best," the 65-year-old acknowledged, "but Fabian is also one of the best players in the world if not the best.

"But Pedri can't play like he does for Barca, because we play differently. We have similarities, but it's not the same. We don't have the same players either.

"We have Rodri, so of course his partner in midfield is different. For me, Pedri could play as a 6, 8, or 10, but we have to make decisions that are always very elaborate, very analysed, very tailored to the opponent."

The obvious question now, of course, is who does De la Fuente think is best suited to starting against France?

There is obviously a chance that both Fabian Ruiz and Pedri could start alongside Rodri, as they did against Cape Verde. Midfield is arguably the one area in which Spain are stronger than France and playing three such technically-gifted footballers would give La Roja every chance of hogging the ball, which undoubtedly represents their best - and arguably only - chance of reducing the threat posed by Didier Deschamps' devastating front four.

However, playing Pedri and Fabian would probably mean dropping Dani Olmo, who's done quite a job in the No.10 role since locking down a starting spot in the knockout stage, even if his end product still leaves something to be desired.

De la Fuente does believe that Pedri is a "special talent" whom he prefers to "play closer to the opposition box", where he can do the most damage with his feints, flicks and one-twos, while he's also praised Pedri for "always setting a very good tone, whether he's in top form or not".

However, the coach does appear to be leaving towards once again replacing Fabian with Pedri when Spain's opponents are tiring and more space is opening up. "Pedri could benefit from Fabian's work," he said after the Belgium game. "It's essentially teamwork."

The Spanish squad's selflessness is unquestionably their greatest strength and, strange as it is to see Pedri’s participation up for debate, it makes perfect sense for De la Fuente to make full use of the incredible group of players at his disposal.

As he said himself, "France have already shown some extraordinary, exceptional ​potential, but we have too, so I think the game is very open. It will require fresh, energetic players, and it will require us to be the best version of ourselves."

Whether Spain will see the Barcelona version of Pedri, though, remains unclear.