Lamine Yamal wins Kopa Trophy for third consecutive year

Lamine Yamal has won the Kopa Trophy at the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London for the third year in a row, becoming the first player to claim the award on three consecutive occasions. The Barcelona winger, who turned 19 this year, was among the frontrunners for the main Ballon d'Or prize but ultimately finished third behind Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé, according to the already published results.

In his acceptance speech, Yamal said the prize belonged to his Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsí, who had been among the nominees but did not travel to London for the ceremony. Mundo Deportivo reports that Yamal stated: 'This award was for Cubarsí.'

Barcelona president Joan Laporta expressed disappointment that Yamal had not taken the Ballon d'Or itself, with TuttoMercatoWeb reporting that Laporta felt the winger 'deserved it for his talent and trophies' and that Yamal was saddened by the outcome.

FootVal values Yamal at €236m, slightly above his Transfermarkt market value of €220m. In the current 2026/27 season he has recorded eight goals and six assists in ten appearances, averaging a rating of 8.22. Vicky López, also of Barcelona, won the female equivalent of the Kopa Trophy for the second year running.