Lamine Yamal makes it three Kopa Trophies in a row

Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy for a third consecutive year at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on Monday, collecting the award for the best men’s player under 21 as the first trophy of the night.

The 70th edition began after a 45 minute delay, with Thierry Henry and Kate Scott hosting. Yamal’s award was the first category, presented by 2004 winner Andriy Shevchenko, who spoke about the work, discipline and self belief that must accompany talent.

Yamal was gracious in victory, thanking his teammates at club and international level. He said Barcelona and Spain colleague Pau Cubarsi, another nominee, should have collected the prize instead, while the cameras found his young half brother Keyne looking emotional in the audience.

Henry lightened the mood with a line directed at Yamal about whether this was the award he most wanted.

“Is it the one that you really wanted tonight?”

The Kopa Trophy, presented by France Football, recognises the best male footballer under 21 in the world, with former Ballon d’Or winners voting. Yamal also won it in 2025, becoming the first player to claim it in back to back years.

He beat nine other nominees: Kerim Alajbegovic, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Pau Cubarsi, Yan Diomande, Lennart Karl, Eli Junior Kroupi, Johan Manzambi, Ibrahim Maza and Warren Zaire Emery. The shortlist spanned clubs from Lille and Freiburg to Bayern Munich and Paris Saint Germain.

Yamal is also among the contenders for the Ballon d’Or itself, alongside Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe, with the men’s winner still to be named later in the evening. Alexia Putellas is the favourite to succeed Aitana Bonmati in the women’s award.