Lamine Yamal won the Kopa Trophy in both 2024 and 2025 as football’s top young player.
The Kopa Trophy is presented at the Ballon d’Or ceremony to the best male player aged under 21. Yamal first won it in 2024 after his breakthrough season with Barcelona and his outstanding Euro 2024 campaign with Spain.
He retained the trophy in 2025, becoming the first player to win the award twice. The back-to-back victories reflected his rapid rise from Barcelona’s academy to a central role for both club and country while still in his teens.
The Kopa Trophy is not the same as the Golden Boy award, which is organized by the Italian newspaper Tuttosport, or the Golden Ball, which usually recognizes a tournament’s best player. The Yashin Trophy is a separate Ballon d’Or award for goalkeepers.