Spanish-Moroccan footballer Lamine Yamal received the Kopa Trophy on Monday at the 68th Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris. The 17-year-old Barcelona talent expressed his gratitude, saying it was «an honor» and dedicated the award to his mother, and grandmother, who «have been there forever». He shared his ambition to win everything with Barcelona, including La Liga and the Champions League, and hoped this would be the «first trophy in a long series». At 17, Yamal has already broken records as Spain's youngest player in a major tournament semifinal, scoring against France in the UEFA European Championship and assisting in Spain's 2-1 win over England, securing the team's record win. Recently, he became El Clasico's youngest scorer in Barcelona's victory over Real Madrid. Now the youngest Kopa Trophy winner, he's widely seen as a future contender for major football awards. The Kopa Trophy, named after French legend Raymond Kopa, honors the world's best male footballer under 21, as selected by former Ballon d'Or winners.
