Lamine Yamal has won the 2024 Kopa Trophy after the teenager’s stunning season for Spain and Barcelona.
Yamal, 17, is the first player aged under 18 to win the award, given the world’s best young player in 2024.
The talented youngster broke into Barcelona’s team last season at the age of just 16, while he was the same age for the majority of Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 campaign, which Yamal starred at.
La Roja won all seven of their games at the tournament with Yamal scoring a breathtaking long-range goal against France in the quarter-finals as well as providing four assists.
England and Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, finished third in the young player standings with Real Madrid and Turkey younfster Arda Guler coming second.
Kopa Trophy 2024 top three 👏#UCL | #ballondor pic.twitter.com/vdAiJmii1i
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 28, 2024
Yamal has also scored 13 goals and 16 assists in 65 appearances for Barca since his debut in April 2023, recently becoming the youngest scorer in El Clasico during Barca’s 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid on Saturday.
Dutch legend Ruud Gullit, who presented the award to Yamal, said of the starlet: “I think he’s very mature in the way he plays. I think he has a huge future ahead of him and will win many trophies.
“I saw him in the Euros final against England. History was in his hands. We need young players, we need players that have the talent and show it.
“This is the thing we miss. We live in an era of players taking one or two touches, but we need to see players dribbling. Please!”
