Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal scooped the 2024 Kopa Trophy during October’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, beating the likes of Arda Guler, Kobbie Mainoo and Savinho to be crowned the best men’s player under the age of 21.
A stunning 2023/24 La Liga campaign saw the 17-year-old become an indispensable member of the Catalan giants’ squad, leaving many to compare the teenage wonderkid to Lionel Messi.
Success on the international stage saw Yamal crowned a European Champion with Spain in July, while the fleet-footed winger also became the youngest player to score in the tournament at just 16 years and 362 days old.
Yamal’s Kopa Trophy win was therefore widely expected, though the shortlist of players he was competing against was brimming full of talent.
Now, with the event firmly in the rear-view mirror, it’s been revealed how 23 former Ballon d’Or winners – including Messi, Kaka, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Ruud Gullit – voted having been given the responsibility of helping to crown Jude Bellingham’s successor.
Yamal earned first-place votes from 22 of the 23 players, with only Brazilian striking legend Ronaldo – who played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid in his career – veering away from the young Spaniard in favour of a first-place vote for fellow countryman Savinho.
The former Girona star netted 11 goals in 41 appearances during 2023/24 before making a huge summer move to reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.
A number of players with ties to Real Madrid, including Kaka, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema, voted Arda Guler in second, even though the Turkish superstar is yet to cement himself as a first team regular for Carlo Ancelotti.
Pau Cubarsi received support from Messi and fellow Barcelona alumni Hristo Stoichkov, while Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo finished either second or third in 11 of the 23 players votes.
Alejandro Garnacho, Warren Zaire-Emery and Joao Neves also earned top three votes, alongside Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel and emerging Salzburg striker Karim Konate.
|
Voter |
1st |
2nd |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Gianni Rivera |
Lamine Yamal |
Kobbie Mainoo |
Arda Guler |
|
Oleg Blokhine |
Lamine Yamal |
Arda Guler |
Savinho |
|
Alan Simonsen |
Lamine Yamal |
Mathys Tel |
Pau Cubarsi |
|
Karl-Heinz Rumnmenigge |
Lamine Yamal |
Arda Guler |
Alejandro Garnacho |
|
Igor Belanov |
Lamine Yamal |
Kobbie Mainoo |
Savinho |
|
Ruud Gullit |
Lamine Yamal |
Kobbie Mainoo |
Pau Cubarsi |
|
Marco van Basten |
Lamine Yamal |
Alejandro Garnacho |
Kobbie Mainoo |
|
Lothar Matthaus |
Lamine Yamal |
Joao Neves |
Savinho |
|
Jean-Pierre Papin |
Lamine Yamal |
Warren Zaire-Emery |
Kobbie Mainoo |
|
Hristo Stoichkov |
Lamine Yamal |
Pau Cubarsi |
Arda Guler |
|
Matthias Sammer |
Lamine Yamal |
Kobbie Mainoo |
Savinho |
|
Ronaldo |
Savinho |
Lamine Yamal |
Arda Guler |
|
Rivaldo |
Lamine Yamal |
Savinho |
Arda Guler |
|
Luis Figo |
Lamine Yamal |
Arda Guler |
Joao Neves |
|
Michael Owen |
Lamine Yamal |
Kobbie Mainoo |
Savinho |
|
Pavel Nedved |
Lamine Yamal |
Arda Guler |
Kobbie Mainoo |
|
Andrei Shevchenko |
Lamine Yamal |
Savinho |
Kobbie Mainoo |
|
Ronaldinho |
Lamine Yamal |
Savinho |
Kobbie Mainoo |
|
Fabio Cannavaro |
Lamine Yamal |
Karim Konate |
Arda Guler |
|
Kaka |
Lamine Yamal |
Arda Guler |
Kobbie Mainoo |
|
Lionel Messi |
Lamine Yamal |
Pau Cubarsi |
Alejandro Garnacho |
|
Luka Modric |
Lamine Yamal |
Arda Guler |
Joao Neves |
|
Karim Benzema |
Lamine Yamal |
Arda Guler |
Alejandro Garnacho |
