Lamine Yamal and Vicky Lopez have won the Kopa Trophy for best men’s and women’s young players at the 2025 Ballon d’Or awards.
The award recognises the best players in the world under the age of 21.
Yamal, 18, enjoyed a superb 2024/25 season with Barcelona, scoring 18 goals and providing 25 assists in all competitions.
His exceptional form for the Blaugrana earned him a nomination for the men’s Ballon d’Or award.
“Maybe I’ll see you back up here later,” said Ruud Gullit, co-hosting the ceremony, when Yamal collected the Kopa Trophy.
“Firstly, thank you to France Football for the award,” Yamal said. “It’s an honour to be here again.
“I would also like to thank my club Barcelona, as well as the national team, because without them I would not be here.”
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick gave his thoughts on Yamal’s Ballon d’Or hopes last weekend, with the teenager absent from his side’s win over Getafe with a groin injury.
“I don’t know [whether he will win the Ballon d’Or on Monday],” Flick said. “One day we’ll see Lamine win this trophy, but whoever wins it this year will deserve it. For me, anyway, it’s a matter of respect to be nominated.”
It is the second successive year Yamal has won the Kopa Trophy. He won by a landslide with 113 points in 2024, ahead of Real Madrid’s Arda Guler and Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo.
This year, he beat Paris Saint-Germain’s Desire Doue to the award, after the 20-year-old starred with a brace in the UEFA Champions League final against Internazionale.
Another PSG player, Joao Neves, was in third. The Portugal international was influential throughout the French club’s successful campaign.
New Chelsea signing Estevao was in fourth, after impressing in Brazil with Palmeiras and earning his first caps for the national team before his move to Stamford Bridge.
Rounding off the top 10 were Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz, Real Madrid’s Dean Huijsen, Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi, Porto’s Rodrigo Mora, Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly.
In the Women’s Kopa Trophy, Lopez of Barcelona took the award, having helped her side to Liga F and Copa de la Reina glory, as well as playing an important role in Spain’s run to the final of the UEFA Women’s Euros.
The 19-year-old, who won the Golden Girl award last year, scored 10 goals in 25 league appearances for Barcelona.
“I dedicate this award to my mother, who is protecting me from heaven,” Lopez said.
She added an acknowledgement for Barcelona, saying: “They have supported me and allowed me to compete for the best team in the world at just 16 years old.”
She finished ahead of Real Madrid’s Linda Caicedo in the Kopa Trophy rankings, with Chelsea’s Wieke Kaptein in third.
Brighton loanee and England rising star Michelle Agyemang finished fourth, ahead of Paraguayan Claudia Martinez Ovando.
