Lamine Yamal named best young player at Ballon d'Or ceremony for third consecutive year

Yamal wins the Kopa Trophy for the third consecutive year after winning the World Cup with Spain this summer.

Lamine Yamal has been named the best young player at the Ballon d'Or ceremony for the third year running. The Barcelona forward won La Liga's domestic double last season and became world champion with Spain this summer, just six days after turning 19.

Vicky López of Barcelona claimed the women's equivalent award for the second consecutive year. The Ballon d'Or gala in London saw no Dutch winners on the night. Veerle Buurman reached the final five for the women's young player award, while three Netherlands internationals were nominated for the women's Ballon d'Or itself, though none broke into the top ten. Esmee Brugts finished as the highest-ranked Dutch player at 17th, with seven of her Barcelona teammates also among the 30 nominees. Kerstin Casparij and Vivianne Miedema of Manchester City were also shut out of the top ten.