Barcelona's 19-year-old forward Lamine Yamal won the Copa Trophy, awarded to the best player under the age of 21, at the Ballon d'Or ceremony sponsored by French soccer magazine France Football and UEFA. The award ceremony was held in London on the 26th, and with this award Yamal set a record as the first person in history to win the award three years in a row.
Yamal played in 45 games in the 2025-26 season, scoring 24 goals and providing 18 assists. He made a major contribution to Barcelona's second consecutive La Liga title, and played in all eight games for the Spanish national team at this summer's FIFA World Cup in North and Central America, scoring one goal and contributing to the victory. In the overall Ballon d'Or award, England's forward Harry Kane was named first, France's forward Kylian Mbappé was placed second, and Yamal was placed third.
Yamal said at the award ceremony that he was "honored" but wished Pau Kubalsi had accepted the award instead of him. Kvarši is also a member of Barcelona, and Yamal praised his fellow players at club and national team, commenting, ``Kvarši deserved this year's trophy better.'' His comments showed respect and humility for his teammates.
Since the Copa Trophy was created in 2018, Barcelona has produced multiple players, including Pedri (2021) and Gabi (2022), making them the club with the most awards. Yamal's award reaffirmed the club's ability to develop young players as young players continue to emerge. Going forward, Yamal will aim to further develop for next season, and is expected to play an active role for both club and country.