Ballon d'Or 2024: Barcelona star Lamine Yamal wins 2024 Kopa Trophy
Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has won the 2024 Kopa Trophy, which he was awarded at the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday, October 28. The youngster has been outstanding for club and country, as he helped Spain win Euro 2024 with one goal and four assists in the tournament.
He has now become the youngest winner of the Kopa Trophy - notably the first player under the age of 18 to clinch it. Real Madrid playmaker Arda Guler came behind him in second place, while Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo came third. Behind them were Manchester City's Savinho and Yamal's Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsi.
Football legend Ruud Gullit spoke about Yamal on the award stage, telling the crowd (via New York Times):
"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!"
Lamine Yamal has broken a fair bit of records already, including making his international debut at the young age of 16 years 57 days old. He has become the youngest player to feature in LaLiga for Barcelona, which he did before he turned 16.
Last season, the young winger scored seven goals and provided nine assists in 50 games across all competitions for Barcelona. He has improved his goalscoring run of form this season with six goals and seven assists in 14 games so far.
When Barcelona star Lamine Yamal spoke about his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or
Last month, Lamine Yamal spoke about his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or during a TV interview with Spanish outlet El Hormiguero. He revealed he had found out about his nomination in the lift, saying (via besoccer):
"We were in the lift with Nico. First he came out and then me. I have no chance of winning the Ballon d'Or. I imagine that those at Madrid will appreciate me for the national team."
Yamal finished eighth in the Ballon d'Or 2024 rankings. While the Golden Ball might elude the Barcelona youngster at this early stage of his career, he could potentially become the youngest player to win it. He has about three years to beat Ronaldo Nazario's record of winning the prestigious award at the age of 21.