Lamine Yamal has already spent much of his teenage career collecting milestones that seemed difficult enough to achieve once, but the Barcelona forward has now done something nobody had managed before. At 19, he has won the Kopa Trophy for a third consecutive year, completing a historic hat-trick at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony in London while remaining a contender for football’s biggest individual prize.
Yamal makes Kopa Trophy history in London
Yamal was named the winner of the 2026 Kopa Trophy, awarded to the world’s best male player under the age of 21, at the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony on October 26 in London. Having claimed the honour in 2024 and 2025, the Spain international became the first player to win it three years in succession.Since France Football introduced the Kopa Trophy in 2018 to honor the best player in the world under the age of 21, no other individual has ever won it more than once.The Barcelona forward, who first broke into the senior side in 2023, had already established himself among the most closely watched young footballers in the world. Winning the award for the first time at 17, retaining it at 18 and now completing the hat-trick at 19 has given his rapid rise another landmark achievement.Yamal came out ahead of a field that included Barcelona team-mate Pau Cubarsí, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Yan Diomandé, among other nominees. His performances across the previous season helped persuade the voting jury to recognise him again, with his attacking influence remaining central to his reputation.
Lamine Yamal of Spain is hugged by president of FC Barcelona Joan Laporta as they attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony at the London Palladium Theatre in London, England, Monday, Oct. 26, 2026 . (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The award also continued Spain’s remarkable recent record in the category. Spanish players have won five of the last six editions, with Yamal responsible for three consecutive victories after earlier wins by Pedri in 2021 and Gavi in 2022.
The season behind Yamal’s third award
Yamal’s latest Kopa Trophy followed a productive 2025–26 campaign with Barcelona and Spain, during which he contributed 25 goals and 20 assists across 57 appearances in all competitions.The winger helped Barcelona win LaLiga and the Spanish Super Cup, while his international campaign brought further recognition after Spain’s triumph at the 2026 World Cup. His season statistics included six yellow cards and no red cards, alongside three collective titles.
Soccer Football – UEFA Champions League – Galatasaray v FC Barcelona – Rams Park, Istanbul, Turkey – October 13, 2026 FC Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal celebrates their third goal, scored by Anthony Gordon REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya
His style has remained a major part of his appeal, combining close control and electric dribbling with the ability to create chances and contribute goals. Those qualities have made him an important attacking presence for Barcelona despite his age, while his performances have continued to attract attention beyond Spain.The Kopa Trophy recognises the best young player in world football, but Yamal’s presence among the nominees for the senior Men’s Ballon d’Or also placed him in contention for the ceremony’s biggest individual honour. He was one of several players nominated in more than one category, alongside compatriots Cata Coll and Cubarsí.
How Yamal compares with previous winners
The Kopa Trophy was first awarded in 2018, when Kylian Mbappé won the inaugural edition, followed by Matthijs de Ligt in 2019. No award was presented in 2020, before Pedri collected the honour in 2021 and Gavi won in 2022.Jude Bellingham took the prize in 2023, before Yamal began his run of three consecutive victories in 2024. His wins in 2025 and 2026 have now extended that sequence beyond anything previously achieved in the award’s history.
Spain’s Lamine Yamal responds to a question during a news conference Monday, July 13, 2026, in Arlington, Texas, ahead of the team’s World Cup semifinal soccer match against France. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Yamal’s latest victory also comes after he became a World Cup winner with Spain, adding another major team achievement to a career that has advanced unusually quickly. At 19, he has already secured three Kopa Trophies, domestic honours with Barcelona and a place among the candidates for the Ballon d’Or.His third consecutive win confirms that the young Barcelona forward has moved beyond being a promising newcomer, with his performances now judged against the highest expectations in the game. The challenge ahead is to sustain that level as his career develops, rather than simply add another record to a collection already growing at an extraordinary pace.
