History at 19! Yamal becomes a Ballon d'Or record-breaker

Lamine Yamal continues to rewrite football history before even leaving his teenage years.

Details: The 19-year-old Barcelona star has become the first player in Ballon d'Or history to receive three nominations for the men's main award before turning 20. His rise is particularly striking considering that Yamal only made his first appearance on the shortlist in 2024, when he was 17.

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Yamal was already the youngest Ballon d'Or nominee of all time when he entered the 2024 race at 17 years, one month and 22 days. He eventually finished eighth that year before making another huge leap in 2025, when only Ousmane Dembélé finished above him in the final voting.

Now, while still only 19, the Spanish winger has reached three Ballon d'Or nominations. The 2026 ceremony is scheduled for October 26 in London, where the winner of the prestigious individual award will be announced.

It is worth noting that official Ballon d'Or data credits Yamal with 57 appearances, 25 goals and 20 assists during the 2025/26 season. He also won the World Cup, the Spanish league title and the Spanish Super Cup during the campaign.

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