Spain and Germany had proven to be the two most venomous and entertaining sides at Euro 2024, and their meeting in the quarterfinals drew much hype as a result.
Many believed these two teams were the top title contenders at the competition, and thus their clash so early in the knockout round was somewhat unjust.
They were thought likely to come out guns blazing, looking to outscore their counterparts with their talented attacking players. Instead, the match began with an unexpected physicality that produced a number of thumping challenges.
Germany, in particular, were overly physical, and it saw the referee forced to book Antonio Rudiger just 13 minutes into the match and David Raum before the half-hour mark.
Yet it was a poor tackle by German legend Toni Kroos that forced off Spain midfielder Pedri just minutes into the game, and while he wasn't booked for his efforts, it left La Roja head coach Luis de la Fuente needing to make a change extremely early.
MORE: Commentary, highlights, recap of Spain vs. Germany in Euro 2024 quarterfinals
Pedri injury news, updates after leaving Euro 2024 quarterfinal
Twenty-one-year-old midfielder Pedri was forced off just eight minutes into the match against Germany, replaced by Dani Olmo.
The Barcelona star was tackled hard by Kroos in the fourth minute, and while he attempted to play on, he knew something was wrong. Just minutes later, he knew he could not continue, signaling to the Spain bench for a substitute before taking a seat on the ground.
Pedri was clearly emotional as he exited the pitch, stoking fears of a potentially serious injury.
On July 6, the national team confirmed that Pedri had suffered a grade two sprain in his left knee, meaning he will miss Spain's semifinal match with France and the final should they reach that stage.
The player is staying with the team for the remainder of their time in Germany, rather than heading straight back to Barcelona.
Toni Kroos avoids yellow card after Pedri challenge
It was a surprise that Kroos was not given any further punishment for his challenge on Pedri.
English referee Anthony Taylor decided not to book the German midfielder, largely due to the early timing of the tackle. The coming-together occurred in just the fourth minute of the game.
Often, referees are averse to giving yellow cards early in games, believing that it negatively affects the remainder of the match as players are left to navigate the majority of the 90 minutes on a knife edge.
It is also possible that Taylor's decision was influenced by the fact Kroos got a toe on the ball before making contact with Pedri.
Toni Kroos wasn't shown a yellow card after this challenge on Pedri less than five minutes into Spain-Germany.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 5, 2024
Pedri limped off in pain and was forced to come off just a few minutes later. pic.twitter.com/diS0MboJM1
However, this challenge was an ugly one from Kroos, and fully deserving of a yellow card. It was extremely late, as he stuck his leg down in Pedri's path well after the ball had gone. It was also potentially dangerous, as it saw Pedri clatter into the obstruction, causing him to go tumbling head over heels into the ground, immediately grabbing his knee.
Pedri injury history as Spain, Barcelona midfielder struggles early
Young star Pedri has been beset by injuries throughout his career.
Breaking into the Barcelona fold at just 17 years old, he has missed significant time as a senior professional for muscle injuries, specifically hamstring issues. However, a potential knee injury on international duty would be the first of its kind for Pedri.
Often, fans and media have linked Pedri's early minutes load as a teenager for club and country to his run of injuries in recent years. Through a 12-month stretch across the 2020/21 season, Pedri logged over 4,000 minutes for club and country across 73 games and was notoriously shipped off to the 2020 Olympics on the heels of a Euro 2020 semifinal run.
Pedri long-term injuries for Barcelona, Spain
Injury stats via Transfermarkt.us
| Dates | Injury | Games Missed | Days Missed |
| Mar. 4 - Apr. 7, 2024 | Hamstring | 6 | 34 |
| Aug. 24 - Nov. 3, 2024 | Hamstring | 16 | 71 |
| May 15 - Jun. 30, 2023 | Hamstring | 6 | 46 |
| Feb. 17 - Apr. 22, 2023 | Hamstring | 13 | 64 |
| Apr. 14 - Jun. 30, 2022 | Hamstring | 13 | 77 |
| Sep. 30, 2021 - Jan. 10, 2022 | Hamstring | 23 | 102 |
