Pedro has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 39, ending a career that included three UEFA Champions League titles with Barcelona, domestic honours at Chelsea and major international success with Spain.
The forward joined Barcelona’s youth academy, La Masia, in 2004 and went on to feature in three of the club’s Champions League-winning teams.
He made his first appearance in a Champions League final as a substitute in Barcelona’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United in the 2008-09 final. Two years later, he scored the opening goal in their 3-1 win against the same opponents in the 2010-11 final.
Pedro was again introduced from the bench in the 2014-15 final, when Barcelona defeated Juventus 3-1. By then, he had lost his regular starting place as Luis Suarez and Neymar joined Lionel Messi in a formidable attacking trio.
In total, Pedro played 309 matches for Barcelona, scoring 93 goals and providing 42 assists. He moved to Chelsea in 2015 and won the Premier League title during his second season at Stamford Bridge.
His five years in England also brought success in the FA Cup and the Europa League before he moved to Italy, where he represented Roma and Lazio.
Pedro left Lazio as a free agent in July, despite finishing as one of the club’s joint-top scorers in 2025-26. He scored five goals in all competitions, the same total as Tijjani Noslin.
In a message posted on Instagram on Wednesday, Pedro said he believed the time had come to begin a new stage of his life.
“I feel like it’s time, time to step forward and start a new chapter in my life,” he wrote.
“I am proud of myself for living my dream and for all the people who were by my side to make it a reality. Thank you, football, for making me so happy.”
Pedro also enjoyed a distinguished international career with Spain. He was included in the squads that won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, starting the World Cup final against the Netherlands.
He earned 65 senior caps for Spain and scored 17 goals.
