Ballon d'Or 2024: Aston Villa star Emiliano Martinez wins the 2024 Yacine trophy
Aston Villa and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has been announced as the winner of the 2024 Yacine Trophy at the ongoing Ballon d'Or gala. The goalkeeper, who is widely regarded as one of the world's best, has become the first in history to win the award in consecutive years.
Formerly of Arsenal, Martinez won the award first in 2023 after a stellar year for his club, which was capped off by a stellar FIFA World Cup campaign. The 32-year-old was impressive for his club once more last season as he helped Aston Villa reach the UEFA Champions League. He also won the 2024 Copa America with the Argentine national team earlier this summer.
Emiliano Martinez has beaten Spain and Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simon, who finished second, and Real Madrid's Andriy Lunin, who came third, to the trophy. Gianluigi Donnarumma was in fourth place and AC Milan star Mike Maignan finished fifth, while Yann Sommer of Inter Milan was sixth.
Liverpool-bound Giorgi Mamardashvili was seventh and Diogo Costa was eighth, while South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams finished in ninth place. Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel finished in 10th place after voting was concluded.
Martinez kept 15 clean sheets in 47 appearances across all competitions for Aston Villa during the 2023-24 season. He then kept five clean sheets in six games for Argentina at the Copa America 2024. The experienced goalkeeper has been in fine form this season, as well, and finished 18th in the 2024 Ballon d'Or rankings.
Harry Kane emulates Lewandowski, Haaland at 2024 Ballon d'Or gala
Harry Kane became the latest world-renowned striker to receive the Gerd Muller trophy, an award for the top goalscorer in Europe for the season. The Bayern Munich star shared the award with Real Madrid ace Kylian Mbappe, who scored the same number of goals in the 2023-24 season.
Kane scored 52 times in the 2023-24 season to win the award alongside Mbappe, who also managed the tally in his final season with Paris Saint-Germain. The England captain also finished in 10th place in the official 2024 Ballon d'Or rankings after a goal-laden year for club and country. The Frenchman, meanwhile, was sixth in the Ballon d'Or rankings.
Harry Kane becomes the third recipient of the honour after Robert Lewandowski (in 2021 and 2022), and Erling Haaland in 2023. He managed 44 goals in 45 official appearances across competitions in what was his debut season with Bayern Munich. He then scored eight times for the English national team. Mbappe scored 44 goals in a PSG shirt and another eight in the colors of Les Bleus.