Photo via BBC Sport

Like Benzema & as good as Haaland - Alonso on Joao Pedro

September 11, 2026 · BBC Sport

Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has lavished high praise on attacker Joao Pedro, drawing flattering parallels to elite company. The manager noted that Pedro shares stylistic attributes with Karim Benzema, a player Alonso previously shared the pitch with during their tenure at Real Madrid.

In addition to the stylistic resemblance to the French forward, Alonso stated that Pedro's current quality matches that of Manchester City talisman Erling Haaland.