France Football praises La Masia as academy that shaped Yamal and López

France Football praises Barcelona's La Masia academy after Lamine Yamal and Vicky López named among world's best young talents under 21.

France Football, the publication that created the Ballon d'Or in 1956, has dedicated coverage to La Masia, Barcelona's youth academy, highlighting its role in developing Lamine Yamal and Vicky López. Both players have been named among the world's greatest talents under 21 in men's and women's football respectively for 2026, drawing international attention to Barcelona's youth development methods.

The feature appears alongside interviews with Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, who won the Socrates Award, and Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, who referenced Lionel Messi's left foot as an ideal to aspire to. La Masia is presented not merely as a football academy but as a comprehensive development programme that shapes players both on and off the pitch.

The academy's track record underscores Barcelona's consistent ability to produce world-class talent. In 2010, Messi, Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández occupied the Ballon d'Or podium—an unprecedented achievement for a single club. In women's football, Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí have each won the women's Ballon d'Or multiple times after developing through La Masia.