Lamine Yamal has written another chapter in football history after becoming the first player ever to receive three Ballon d’Or nominations before turning 20.
The Barcelona superstar was included in the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, announced on September 8, extending an extraordinary run that began when he first appeared among the nominees as a 17-year-old in 2024.
Yamal has now been nominated for football’s most prestigious individual award in three consecutive years: 2024, 2025 and 2026. Born on July 13, 2007, the Spanish forward is still only 19 years old.
A Ballon d’Or record nobody had achieved before
Yamal was already the youngest player ever nominated for the Ballon d’Or when he made the shortlist in 2024. He eventually finished eighth in the voting after a breakthrough campaign for Barcelona and a sensational Euro 2024 with Spain.
One year later, his status had changed dramatically.
Yamal finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or, collecting 1,059 voting points and finishing behind Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé. At just 18 years old, he had already established himself among the very best players in world football.
His inclusion in the 2026 shortlist now means no player in Ballon d’Or history has ever accumulated three nominations before celebrating his 20th birthday.
Yamal enters the 2026 race as a genuine contender
This latest nomination is far more than a recognition of his potential. Yamal has built a genuine case to win the award.
According to official Ballon d’Or statistics, the Barcelona winger recorded 25 goals and 20 assists in 57 appearances during the 2025/26 season.
He also collected major silverware with both club and country, winning La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona before helping Spain become world champions at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Those achievements have placed him alongside names such as Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Rodri and Ousmane Dembélé among the leading candidates for this year’s prize.
For a player who only turned 19 in July, the numbers are remarkable.
He could make even more history
The Ballon d’Or is not the only category in which Yamal is competing this year.
He has also received his third nomination for the award recognising the world’s best young player after winning the honour in both 2024 and 2025. Yamal became the first player ever to win it twice and now has the opportunity to complete an unprecedented third consecutive triumph.
His rapid rise has already produced a list of age-related records that would represent an impressive career for many established footballers. Yet Yamal is still several months away from his 20th birthday.
The Barcelona No.10 has gone from teenage prodigy to Ballon d’Or contender in a remarkably short period, and his latest record perhaps illustrates his rise better than anything else.
Three Ballon d’Or nominations. Three consecutive years. All before the age of 20.
Whether Yamal can now take the final step and become a Ballon d’Or winner will be decided when the 2026 ceremony takes place in London on October 26.
