Pedri and De Jong the best midfield duo in the world?

Barcelona's midfield duo, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri, have been outstanding this season, contributing to the Catalan club's first-ever domestic treble. Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo reported that De Jong's performances in the second half of the season silenced his critics and made him unquestionably deserving of a renewal. Currently, the Dutchman and Pedri form the best midfield duo in football, perhaps rivaled only by the Portuguese duo in Paris (Vitinha and Neves), who are more physically powerful but lack the same technical control as the Barcelona duo. The newspaper added that De Jong has complemented Pedri perfectly, who is currently considered the best midfielder in the world. Thanks to the Dutch international, Pedri has become more confident on the pitch, especially when building play from the back. De Jong has also developed defensively, adapting to coach Hansi Flick's demands in recovering the ball. The newspaper noted that when De Jong returned to the starting lineup after a five-month absence due to an ankle injury, there was criticism of the youngster Marc Casado, who had won the hearts of the fans. However, Flick relied on the Dutch star's experience, and over time, his choice proved to be correct, especially after Casado's injury and two-month absence.