'Generational footballer' - Pedri takes just THREE DAYS to break his own La Liga record as Barcelona midfielder hailed as 'best player in the world' after Mallorca masterclass

Pedri broke his own record in La Liga this season in Barcelona's 1-0 win over Mallorca on Tuesday night, just three days after he originally topped the same chart against Celta Vigo, prompting fans to hail the Spaniard as the "best player in the world".

The Spaniard recorded 18 ball recoveries on Tuesday, the most by any La Liga player in a single game this season, beating the record of 17, which he set himself in Barca's nerve-wracking 4-3 win over Celta over the weekend.

Chelsea fan @CFCMod took to X (formerly Twitter) and labelled Pedri as a generational footballer: "Pedri has set such high standards that every insane game he has is just seen as normal, this is a generational footballer."

Meanwhile, Barca supporter @BaldeWaves went a step further to and crowed him the best player in the world: "Calling Pedri the best midfielder itw is an offense he's the best player in the world."

Another user, @UgoOsinobi, tweeted: "If you observe Pedri very closely, you’ll actually see the traits of each of Xavi-Iniesta-Busquets in his game."

Barca fan @NealGardner_ even went so far as to say that Pedri deserves the Ballon d'Or more than any other player: "If I had to pick one Barça player for the Ballon d’Or, it’d be Pedri, and I’d do so without even the slightest bit of hesitation."

Following the Catalans' win on Tuesday, which propelled them seven points clear of Real Madrid in the title race, the managers of the two teams heaped praise on Pedri.

"It's difficult to say what Pedri's limit is. He's currently at a very high level. Not only when he has the ball, but also without it. He helps us a lot defensively, and everyone knows how good he is," Barca coach Hansi Flick told reporters after the game.

Meanwhile, Mallorca manager Jagoba Arrasate claimed he'd not seen a footballer like Pedri in a long time: "When you see Pedri, you analyse him and you enjoy from your TV. But then you see him against you and you want him to stop. I haven't seen a midfielder like this in a long time."

The first few seasons of Pedri's career have been marked by inconsistency due to his poor record with injuries. However, he has been among the best players in the world this season, having put his fitness woes behind him. According to ESPN, Pedri has 227 ball recoveries in La Liga this season, 56 more than anyone else. He has been a vital player for Flick, showing efficiency in equal measure both on and off the ball. Indeed, his 18 ball recoveries against Mallorca are the most for any player in Europe's top-five leagues this season.

The former Las Palmas man will next be seen in action this Saturday, April 26, when Barcelona clash against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final at the Estadio La Cartuja in Seville.