Barcelona and Spain forward Lamine Yamal won the breakthrough of the year award at the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony in Madrid on Monday.
The 17-year-old has been pivotal in Barça's success this season with six goals and 12 assists in LaLiga and three goals in the Champions League.
Often referred to as a generational talent, Yamal also excelled on the international stage for Spain over the past 12 months. In the summer of 2024 he became the youngest player to appear in the European Championships at the age of 16 and went on to win the tournament a day after his 17th birthday.
The Barça forward scored in the Spanish Supercopa final as the Catalan side beat rivals Real Madrid and, with Yamal's help, his side have also made it to the Copa del Rey final and the Champions League semifinal as they remain in the hunt for a quadruple.
Other nominees for the prestigious award included Julien Alfred, Summer McIntosh, Letsile Tebogo and Victor Wembanyama.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid won the Laureus World Team of the Year Award following a trophy laden season that saw them win the LaLiga for a record 36th time and clinch their 15th Champions League. This season they have already won the UEFA Super Cup and the inaugural FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
