Lamine Yamal Wins 2024 Kopa Trophy as World’s Best Young Male Soccer Player

The 2024 Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best male soccer player in the world under the age of 21, has been won by Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team. The announcement was made during the 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony held at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France, on Monday, October 28, 2024.

Lamine Yamal, known for his outstanding performances for Spain at Euro 2024, has emerged as a standout player in the young talent pool. His victory marks the third time in four years that a Barcelona player has won the Kopa Trophy, following in the footsteps of Pedri in 2021 and Gavi in 2022.

The Kopa Trophy, established in 2018, is named after the former Real Madrid and France star Raymond Kopa, who won the Ballon d’Or in 1958. The award is determined by the Ballon d’Or jury voting system and can be won by players from any part of the world, unlike the Golden Boy prize which is limited to players in UEFA’s league system.

Yamal was among a list of nominees that included other promising young players such as Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Garnacho, Arda Guler, and Warren Zaire-Emery. His father and agent, Jorge Mendes, were also in attendance at the ceremony.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or gala, where the Kopa Trophy was awarded, started at 8:45 p.m. local time (3:45 p.m. ET) and was a significant event in the soccer calendar, recognizing the top talents in the sport.