The 2024 Ballon d’Or gala in Paris on Monday saw Lamine Yamal of Barcelona crowned the best young player in the game last season. Spain completed a treble of the top prizes, as Rodri took home the Ballon d’Or itself, while Aitana Bonmati retained the Ballon d’Or Feminin. Luis de la Fuente perhaps surprisingly missed out on the coaching award, though Real Madrid and Barcelona won club honours.
Lamine Yamal has won the 2024 Kopa Trophy, crowning the top Under-21 player in the world, with the Barcelona star shining on a stellar night for Spain at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Rodri was named as the best men’s footballer on the planet, ahead of Real Madrid trio Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal.
Aitana Bonmati, also of Barcelona and Spain, retained her title as the No. 1 women’s player. Luis de la Fuente, though, missed out on the coaching equivalent to Carlo Ancelotti.
Manchester City’s Rodri was the midfield rock around which the Spain team gravitated at the European Championship, but Yamal was the sprinkling of stardust in Germany.
Yamal became a household name by taking the summer tournament by storm, most notably producing a wonderful strike to equalise against pre-tournament favourites France in the semi-finals.
At the tender age of 16 for the majority of Euro 2024 – he turned 17 a day before the final – the winger also laid on four assists for his team-mates, as La Roja lifted the trophy.
Yamal added 16 goal contributions in 50 games at club level in 2023/24. This season, he has already had a hand in 13 goals, though those performances will only be considered as part of the voting this time next year.
He held off competition from the likes of Barcelona colleague Pau Cubarsi, Real Madrid’s Arda Guler, plus Manchester United pair Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho.
Yamal became the sixth recipient of the Kopa Trophy, following in the footsteps of Kylian Mbappe, Matthijs de Ligt, Pedri, Gavi and Bellingham.
The wonderkid – who also finished eighth in the ranking for the senior award – was presented with the trophy in Paris by 1987 Ballon d’Or winner Ruud Gullit.
Ancelotti and Hayes win coaching honours
Ancelotti, boycotting the ceremony with his Madrid troops, scooped the Men’s Coach of the Year award, as a UEFA Champions League and La Liga double winner.
Ceremony host Didier Drogba, managed by the Italian at Chelsea, admitted he was “disappointed not to see my former coach tonight”.
Emma Hayes was also absent and named Women’s Coach of the Year, despite her Olympic Games triumph with the USA coming a fortnight too late to be considered for this award.
She still claimed glory after an impressive end to her Chelsea career, putting the seal on her legendary status with a fifth successive Women’s Super League title.
Clasico rivals take club gold
Barcelona’s success continued as they were named Women’s Club of the Year. In 2023/24, they swept aside everyone in their path by winning the quadruple – Liga F, UEFA Women’s Champions League, Copa de la Reina and Supercopa.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said: “We are really honoured. Thanks to all the people at the club, especially the players, who are working to make Barcelona the best women’s football team in the world. This award is special. We are really proud.”
Unsurprisingly, great rivals Real Madrid took the equivalent Men’s award. Carlo Ancelotti’s men won both La Liga and the Champions League last term, with host Drogba congratulating them.
They were absent from the Paris gala, however, after widespread reports emerged stating that the Madrid squad would not be attending after learning Vinicius would not win the Ballon d’Or.
Kane and Mbappe share Muller Trophy
One award based purely on statistics is the Gerd Muller Trophy, handed to the top goalscorer across all competitions for club and country.
Mbappe and Harry Kane shared the award with 52 goals apiece, but only the England captain was there due to the aforementioned Madrid boycott.
Kane said: “Thank you to my club, FC Bayern Munich, to all my staff, all my team-mates who helped me achieve the goals I scored last season. It’s an honour to take this award from a club legend like Gerd Muller.
“It was a new chapter for me. Going to Germany, taking my family with me, I didn’t know what to expect.
Credit to the people around me. I went with the ride. It’s been a good year and a bit – hopefully many more to come.”
Asked by Drogba about the area of his game he would want to improve, the former Tottenham Hotspur star replied: “Good question. Maybe my speed. But maybe my age won’t help me with that one!”
Ballon d’Or 2024 award winners
Ballon d’Or: Rodri
Ballon d’Or Feminin: Aitana Bonmati
Kopa Trophy: Lamine Yamal
Men’s Coach of the Year: Carlo Ancelotti
Women’s Coach of the Year: Emma Hayes
Yashin Trophy: Emiliano Martinez
Men’s Club of the Year: Real Madrid
Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona
Gerd Muller Trophy: Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe
