Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal clinched the prestigious Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday. Named in honor of French legend Raymond Kopa, this award is given to the best male football player under 21, with winners chosen by former Ballon d’Or recipients.
The award’s first recipient, Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe, claimed the inaugural Kopa Trophy in 2018 while at Paris Saint-Germain. Matthijs de Ligt followed in 2019, after leading Ajax to the Champions League semifinals, including a notable victory over Madrid at the Bernabeu.
Barcelona has a strong recent history with the Kopa Trophy, with Lamine’s teammates Pedri and Gavi winning it back-to-back in 2020 and 2021. Madrid, however, broke Barca’s streak in October 2023 when Jude Bellingham won the award. That same year, in a memorable debut, 15-year-old Lamine replaced Gavi in the 83rd minute of a 4-0 victory over Real Betis at Camp Nou.
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Though Barca went without titles in La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup in 2023/2024, Lamine emerged as a standout, establishing himself as a regular under Xavi Hernandez. After turning 17, he made history at the Euros, becoming the youngest player to appear in the semifinals of a major tournament since Pele in 1958 and set a record as the youngest goalscorer after netting an equalizer against France in the semifinal.