Barca President: 'Yamal has achieved something unprecedented in history'

Barcelona keeps asserting its position at the 2025 Ballon d'Or event, as numerous club players receive recognition. Among them, the remarkable progress of young prospect Lamine Yamal and Aitana Bonmatí’s complete supremacy in women’s football are especially noteworthy.

Although finishing second in the men's Ballon d'Or category, Lamine Yamal made a strong impression by winning the Kopa Trophy for the best U21 player for the second consecutive time. This achievement is unprecedented in football history, highlighting the exceptional nature of the young Spanish star.

President Joan Laporta expressed his pride openly: “It should be emphasized that Lamine has won his second Kopa Trophy, a feat never before seen in history. I am confident this award will motivate him to aim for the Ballon d'Or. Lamine has a very pure ambition. We had high hopes this year, though it didn’t come through. How many Ballon d'Or titles will he win? Time will tell.”

If Yamal symbolizes Barca’s future, Aitana Bonmatí continues to confirm her number one status in women's football. This talented midfielder secured her third consecutive women's Ballon d'Or, an incredibly impressive record.

Laporta showed his admiration: “I am very happy for Aitana; she is completely deserving. Her speech was also wonderful, touching on everything important: family, Barcelona, equality…”

According to Laporta, the fact that many Barca players were nominated and honored demonstrates the club’s strength and influence on the global football stage: “We came here to win, but even if we didn’t succeed, having Barcelona players nominated and competing with the world’s top stars is already a great source of pride. I am very happy and grateful to coach Flick for being present.”

Additionally, Laporta mentioned Ousmane Dembélé, who once played for Barca: “I appreciate Dembélé’s words about the club, where he longed to play and learned a great deal.”

Closing the ceremony, Laporta sent a strong message about the club’s development direction: “We need to work, work, and keep working. Only then can Barcelona continue to compete for trophies and maintain its status at the highest level of football.”

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