Barcelona and Spain forward Lamine Yamal won the Men’s Young Talent of the Year award for a record third consecutive time at the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday.
The 19-year-old collected the honour, previously known as the Kopa Trophy, at the London Palladium, becoming the first player to secure the prize three years in succession since its introduction in 2018.
Yamal first won the award in 2024 at the age of 17 and retained it in 2025. His latest triumph followed another outstanding season in which he helped Barcelona retain the La Liga title and contributed to Spain’s World Cup success.
Accepting the trophy, Yamal praised his Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsí, who was also among the nominees.
“It is an honour to receive this award. I would have liked Cubarsí to be here — this award should be for him. He deserves it,” Yamal said. “I thank my club and my national team. I have to keep working to win collective and individual titles like this.”
The award was presented by former Ballon d’Or winner Andriy Shevchenko. Yamal finished ahead of a field of young talents that included Cubarsí and other emerging players from Europe’s top leagues.
Yamal remains a leading contender for the main Ballon d’Or, with the ceremony continuing later on Monday night.
