Lamine Yamal, the Barcelona player who won the Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21, expressed his hopes on Monday to win the Ballon d'Or "as soon as possible" and confirmed he will strive to achieve that goal.

In an interview with Movistar Plus after receiving the award, he sounded optimistic and ambitious about new challenges, including the aim of becoming the youngest Ballon d'Or winner in history (currently held by Ronaldo Nazário, who won it at 21).

"It's incredible to be at this gala, and I want more. Going for more means the League, the Champions, the Cup, and everything we can. We're going for it all. Individually, all players have that goal (the Ballon d'Or). I hope to win it as soon as possible; it's something I have in mind, and I'm going for it," he stated.

This recognition makes Yamal the third Spanish player and third from Barcelona to receive the trophy, following in the footsteps of Pedri (2021) and Gavi (2022). Previously, Jude Bellingham won in 2023, Matthijs de Ligt in 2019, and Kylian Mbappé in 2018.