Barcelona may well have spawned another.
Hansi Flick’s touring squad in Asia is laden with fresh faces and La Masia starlets, with the summer typically the time when the club’s famed academy come to the forefront at senior level.
You might remember a 16-year-old Lamine Yamal showcasing his otherworldly talent against Tottenham Hotspur in the Joan Gamper Trophy two summers ago, with the generationally gifted teenager tearing Sergio Reguilón apart during a brief cameo, which helped Barça turn the tide late on.
A goal #MadeInLaMasia
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 27, 2025
✍ Dro pic.twitter.com/yZ0htwNQ7n
There was no need for similar heroics from 17-year-old Pedro “Dro” Fernández at the weekend, with Flick’s side leading 2–1 by the time he entered proceedings against Vissel Kobe. Nevertheless, the academy starlet let his presence be known by adding a third for the Blaugrana in the dying embers with a well-taken half-volley from the edge of the box.
Barça’s knack for producing superstars means the world takes notice when baby-faced goalscorers emerge in July and August, with Fernández potentially the next academy graduate to make the grade and some in Catalonia.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 17-year-old.
A Creative Midfielder With Dazzling Feet

Fernández was born in the small village of Nigran in the province of Galicia, which is on the opposite side of Spain to Barcelona.
He joined the club from little-known Val Miñor Nigrán in 2022, starting with the U15s. He quickly took to La Masia‘s schooling, scoring ten times in his first year with the club and garnered nationwide attention.
While Fernández has Filipino roots through his mother, he’s represented Spain at youth level, including the U17s. He has proven himself to be a versatile attacking operator with the quickest of feet. The right-footed 17-year-old boasts the requisite close control and footwork to function effectively from between the lines, although he’s also been used out wide with instruction to drift infield.
Fernández’s dribbling is his current USP, but the kid is also a scoring threat from distance and a deadly playmaker when operating in and around the opponent’s box. His ability to manipulate the ball and work a yard of space gives him the chance to deliver the final pass, and he‘s shown at youth level that he can thread passes through tight windows.
Where he’s best suited to performing at senior level remains to be seen.
Sudden Emergence
Fernández has rapidly crept up on us all. He hadn’t yet earned a Wikipedia page by the time he made his senior debut in Japan, while Transfermarkt have logged just seven games in which the teenager has appeared.
There, of course, are those keeping a watchful eye on La Masia happenings, but the vast majority, including some of the most ardent Barcelona supporters, would’ve seen Fernández in action for the very first time on Sunday.
The club’s academy are so proficient at cultivating ready-made first teamers that some prospects are liable to go under the radar. Dro is one of three teenage Fernández’s on Barcelona’s preseason tour, and there are high hopes for Guille and Toni, too. 18-year-old Jofre Torrents has the potential to emerge as Alejandro Balde’s backup in 2025–26.
Dro had made an impression in senior training at the start of the summer, and there was a sense that the gifted young playmaker was building some momentum before Flick included him in the travelling squad for the Far Eastern adventure.
If he earns minutes for the La Liga champions next season, his rise would’ve been remarkably quick.
Among Hansi Flick’s “Chosen Ones”

Gerard Romero (via Tribuna) reported in July that Fernández had left players and first team staff “speechless” with his training performances at the start of preseason.
His swift ascent has seen him reportedly emerge as one of the manager’s "chosen ones" alongside Torrents and 19-year-old Jan Virgili—La Masia graduates who could play a role for the first team next season. However, there’s been talk of Mallorca coming in for Virgili.
Flick used 23 players during Sunday’s 3–1 win over Vissel Kobe, with Dro appearing for the final 15 minutes down the left after replacing loan addition Marcus Rashford. The teenager thus didn’t have all that much time to impress, but he required just a couple of sequences to leave a mark. Before he scored his first Barcelona goal, Fernández showed off the ingenuity in possession and whippet-like dribbling ability which has got everyone in Catalonia excited.
Flick is particularly enamored, and he celebrated like a proud father when Barça’s third went in via the right boot of the 17-year-old.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dro Fernandez: Who Is Barcelona’s Emerging Talent?.