Kopa Trophy: Lamine Yamal becomes first player to win it three times

Lamine Yamal has won the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best soccer player under 21, for the third year in a row. The 19-year-old FC Barcelona player received the award on Monday, Oct. 26, at the Ballon d'Or gala at the London Palladium. No player had previously won the prize three times.

According to the Argentine newspaper La Gaceta, the trophy was presented by Andriy Shevchenko, the 2004 Ballon d'Or winner. Yamal's Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsí finished second, and France's Warren Zaïre-Emery of Paris Saint-Germain came third. Other nominees included Germany's Lennart Karl of Bayern Munich and Switzerland's Johan Manzambi.

Yamal dedicates award to his teammate

"I'm also dedicating this trophy to Pau Cubarsí, because he played at a high level and deserved it this year," Yamal said after winning.

Cubarsí missed the gala because of a mild fever. On Sunday, Oct. 25, Barcelona had lost the Clásico to Real Madrid 2-1, with Kylian Mbappé scoring twice. The 19-year-old center back played every minute at the World Cup and was named the tournament's best young player by FIFA.

World champion and the league's top assist provider

Performances in the 2025-26 season, including the 2026 World Cup, were taken into account. Yamal won the World Cup with Spain, making him the youngest player to become both European and world champion. He played in every game and scored his first World Cup goal against Saudi Arabia. He was named man of the match in games against Austria and Belgium, among others. Spain conceded only one goal in the entire tournament.

For Barcelona, the right winger made about 45 appearances in all competitions, scoring 24 goals and providing 17 assists, before a thigh injury in April ended his season. In La Liga, he scored 16 goals and added 11 assists in 28 games – no other player in the league set up more goals. He was named La Liga's best player of the season. Barcelona defended the league title and won the Spanish Super Cup.

Gala held outside Paris for the first time

The ceremony was not held in Paris for the first time. It took place outside France for the first time, in a nod to Stanley Matthews, who won the first Ballon d'Or in 1956. The Kopa Trophy for women, awarded since 2025, went again to Vicky López of FC Barcelona.

The French magazine France Football has awarded the Kopa Trophy since 2018. It is named after Raymond Kopa, the 1958 Ballon d'Or winner. Former Ballon d'Or winners make up the jury and award five, three and one point to their top three choices. Previous winners before Yamal include Mbappé, Pedri, Gavi and Jude Bellingham. In 2020, the award was not presented because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yamal is also nominated for the Ballon d'Or and is considered a favorite alongside Harry Kane and Mbappé. Last year, he finished second behind Ousmane Dembélé. The decision on the main award was still pending at the time of the Kopa presentation.