Sports · Football · 3 hrs ago
Lamine Yamal wins Kopa Trophy for third straight year
Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for a third straight year at the Ballon d’Or gala in London.
The award recognises the world’s best footballer under 21, and Yamal, 19, is the first player to win it three years in a row.
He dedicated the award to Barcelona and Spain teammate Pau Cubarsí, saying he thought Cubarsí deserved it.
Yamal helped Barcelona win La Liga for a second consecutive season and was named the league’s player of the season.
He also played for Spain at the World Cup, where the team won the title; Yamal scored once in the tournament.
The three wins set a record for the award, which was created in 2018.
Yamal thanked his club and national team and said he would keep working to win more individual honours.
Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive year at the Ballon d’Or gala in London.
The 19-year-old became the first player to win the award in three consecutive editions.
Yamal said he thought the award should have gone to Barcelona and Spain teammate Pau Cubarsí, who finished runner-up.
Yamal helped Barcelona win La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup in the 2025/26 season.
He also played for Spain at the 2026 World Cup, where the team won the title.
- Who
- Lamine Yamal, Barcelona and Spain forward.
- What
- He won the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive year, a record.
- When
- October 26, 2026.
- Where
- The Ballon d’Or gala in London.
- Why
- The award recognises the best footballer under 21. The sources do not state the judges’ specific reasons for choosing Yamal.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for the first time.
Yamal won the award for a second consecutive year.
Yamal received the Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d’Or gala in London, completing a third consecutive win.
- Age
- 19
- Award
- Kopa Trophy, for the best footballer under 21
- Consecutive wins
- Three, in 2024, 2025 and 2026
- Club
- Barcelona
- Runner-up
- Pau Cubarsí
4 sources
What people are saying
I think this award should have gone to Pau Cubarsí.
It's an honour to receive this award. I would have liked Cubarsí to have won, he deserves it, he has been great for a long time.
Posts on X
2024, 2025, 2026… 🏆👑 Three years. One name. Lamine Yamal, Young Talent of the Year.