Lamine Yamal has written his name into the history books once again. The Barcelona starlet was crowned Best Young Talent of the Year at the 2025 Ballon d’Or gala in Paris, becoming the first player ever to win the Kopa Trophy in consecutive years. At just 18, the Spanish winger is already being hailed as one of the brightest footballers of his generation and he will celebrate the award with his family that travelled all the way with him from Spain.
His rise over the past two seasons has been nothing short of extraordinary. Yamal played a vital role in Barcelona’s domestic treble, lifting La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de España. On the international stage, he helped guide Spain to glory at Euro 2024, turning in decisive performances that underlined his maturity beyond his years. He also shattered records in club football, most memorably becoming the youngest scorer in El Clásico history.
In his acceptance speech as posted by Ballon D’or in a video uploaded on X, Yamal struck a humble tone thanking France football before dedicating the trophy to his club and national teammates.
He said:
Thank you very much to France Football for the award. It’s an honour to be here again,
Watch the video below:
The Kopa Trophy is a part of the Ballon D’or Ceremony an event currently grazed by the cream dela cream of the Footballing dynasty, named after French great Raymond Kopa, is awarded annually to the best male player under 21 and is voted on by former Ballon d’Or winners. Past recipients include Kylian Mbappé, Pedri, and Jude Bellingham, but Yamal has now set a new benchmark by retaining it.
This year’s ceremony also marked a milestone with the launch of the women’s Kopa Trophy, claimed by Barcelona’s Vicky López, making it a double success for the Catalan giants.
With eligibility lasting until 21, Yamal could theoretically win the award again in the coming years. But for now, he has already achieved what no other young talent has done before back-to-back Kopa glory.
