The Spanish football has begun the Ballon d'Or 2026 gala with two new recognitions for FC Barcelona. Lamine Yamal and Vicky López have won the male and female Kopa Trophies, respectively, in a ceremony that brings together this Monday in London the main figures of international football.
The blue-and-burgundy forward, 19 years old, has achieved his third consecutive Kopa Trophy, a recognition that distinguishes the best footballer under 21 years old and confirms his presence among the great protagonists of individual awards. Lamine Yamal is also among the candidates for the absolute male Ballon d'Or, the main award of the night.
For her part, Vicky López has received the female Kopa Trophy for the second consecutive year. The Barcelona midfielder thus extends her trajectory of individual recognitions after establishing herself as one of the young footballers with the most prominence in the blue-and-burgundy team.
Lamine Yamal adds his third Kopa Trophy
The new distinction for Lamine Yamal comes after a season in which he has continued to accumulate prominence both with Barcelona and with the Spanish national team. His ability to unbalance in attack and his influence in decisive matches have made him one of the main figures of his generation.
The Kopa Trophy precisely recognizes the performance of the youngest players, a category in which the Spanish international has once again prevailed. His third consecutive award expands an individual trajectory that began when he was still a minor.
The recognition, however, does not resolve the main question of the ceremony. Lamine Yamal also aspires to the male Ballon d'Or, a different award that distinguishes the best footballer of the season regardless of age.
Vicky López repeats among the best young players
The other Spanish protagonist of the category has been Vicky López, who has once again received the female Kopa Trophy. The Barcelona player, who had already been distinguished in 2025, repeats the recognition in a gala with significant representation from Spanish football.
Her second consecutive award reinforces the prominence of the young female footballers from Barcelona in international awards, in a context of growing visibility of women's football and greater competition among the main European clubs.
With both recognitions, Barcelona adds two individual awards in one of the categories aimed at identifying the footballers expected to play a prominent role in the coming years.
The ceremony continues with the presentation of other awards, including the absolute male and female awards, which attract the most attention of the night.