Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal was the recipient of back-to-back Kopa Trophy awards as the best young player in the world at the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday, Afrosport reports.
The 18-year-old of Moroccan and Equatorial Guinean heritage won the award last year after a breakout 2023-24 season with the Blaugrana and the Spain national team.
He took things up a notch during the 2024-25 campaign 18 goals and 25 assists in 55 competitive appearances as Barcelona won a domestic treble.
He finished ahead of Paris Saint-Germain duo Desire Doue and Joao Neves, and is now the first player to ever win the Kopa Trophy consecutively.
LAMINE YAMAL IS THE 2025 KOPA TROPHY!
The 18-year-old Spanish wonder boy is the first to do it back-to-back!! ✨🇪🇸#TrophéeKopa #ballondor pic.twitter.com/7yuzJEMeMy
— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025
Yamal is sidelined with a groin injury at the moment but has scored two goals and provided three assists in three La Liga games this season.
VICKY LOPEZ IS THE 2025 KOPA TROPHY! #TrophéeKopa #ballondor pic.twitter.com/KdheoMBA2C
— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) September 22, 2025
Meanwhile, fellow Barcelona player and Spaniard, Vicky Lopez, of Nigerian heritage, was the recipient of women’s Kopa Trophy.
The 19-year-old finished ahead of Colombian and Real Madrid forward Linda Caicedo and Dutch and Chelsea midfielder Wieke Kaptein.
