Barcelona and Spain forward Lamine Yamal has won the 2024 Golden Boy award for his exceptional performances, Afrosport reports.
Italian newspaper Tuttosport, founders of the award, announced Yamal as the winner on Wednesday, with the La Masia graduate making history as its youngest recipient at just 17 years and four months.
⭐ 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 ⭐ pic.twitter.com/Sf3cQp8W4E
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 27, 2024
The Golden Boy award is given to players under the age of 21 playing in Europe, and Yamal beats the likes of Real Madrid’s Arda Guler and Endrick, Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, and Paris Saint-Germain’s Warren Zaire-Emery and Joao Neves to the accolade.
Yamal enjoyed a historic breakout season last campaign, helping Spain win the European Championship in Germany as well as becoming the youngest player to appear in the finals and the youngest player to score a goal at the tournament, where he picked up the Young Player award after scoring one goal and assisting four more.
The Barcelona wonderkid became the youngest player to win the Euros when Spain beat England 2-1 in the final, and at the Ballon d’Or ceremony last month, he won the Kopa Trophy for the best under-21 player in the world before finishing eighth in the race for the Ballon d’Or.
Yamal has scored six goals and provided eight assists in 16 games in all competitions this season, and he dethrones Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham, who won the Golden Boy award in 2023.
Meanwhile, it was a double swoop for Barcelona as 18-year-old attacking midfielder Vicky Lopez, who is of Nigerian descent, won the Golden Girl award.
