Lamine Yamal Wins Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award

The Laureus Awards are one of the most prestigious honors in the athletic world, recognizing excellence across all disciplines.

Barcelona’s rising star Lamine Yamal has added yet another accolade to his name after being crowned the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year at the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards. At just 17 years of age, Yamal has taken the football world by storm, becoming a key figure for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team. The teenager has played a crucial role in Barcelona’s impressive campaign this season, contributing six goals and 12 assists in La Liga, along with three goals in the Champions League.

It has been a remarkable year for Barcelona’s teenage prodigy. The youngster has etched his name in football history by winning the UEFA European Championship and being named the Young Player of the Tournament. He’s also won the prestigious Golden Boy award and added the Kopa Trophy to his collection. With the season still underway, Yamal could yet cap it all off by helping Barcelona secure La Liga, the Copa del Rey and even the Champions League.

🏆 Lamine Yamal is the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year#Laureus25 pic.twitter.com/IvBkTEgvXl
— Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 21, 2025

Yamal Sends Video Message

Lamine Yamal was unable to attend the Laureus Awards ceremony in Madrid, as it took place less than 24 hours before Barcelona’s La Liga clash against RCD Mallorca. However, the young star sent in a video message as his acceptance speech.

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“Good evening, everyone. I would have loved to be there with you, but it wasn’t possible. First of all, I wanted to thank the Laureus Academy for the award. It’s an honour for me and my family to receive this kind of award,” he told Sport.

The Laureus Awards are one of the most prestigious honors in the athletic world, recognizing excellence across all disciplines. Yamal was selected from a competitive shortlist that included names such as Julien Alfred (athletics, Saint Lucia), Summer McIntosh (swimming, Canada), Letsile Tebogo (athletics, Botswana), Victor Wembanyama (basketball, France) and Bayer Leverkusen (football, Germany).

Also Read: Borussia Dortmund Interested in Barcelona Loanee Alex Valle

In a ceremony that also celebrated legends from various fields, Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis was named Sportsman of the Year, while American gymnast Simone Biles claimed the Sportswoman of the Year title. Real Madrid, who clinched their 15th Champions League title last year, were honoured with the Team of the Year award.

Full List of Laureus Award Winners

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award: Lamine Yamal

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award: Mondo Duplantis

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award: Simone Biles

Laureus World Team of the Year Award: Real Madrid

Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award: Rebeca Andrade

Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award: Jiang Yuyan

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award: Tom Pidcock

Laureus Sport for Good Award: Kick4Life

Laureus Sporting Icon Award: Rafael Nadal

Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award: Kelly Slater

Barcelona

Lamine Yamal

Real Madrid

Abhinav Goel

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I am a soccer writer at The PlayOffs, covering everything from match analysis to transfer buzz and tactical deep dives. Ever since I was a kid, soccer has been more than just a sport to me—it’s been an obsession. Playing and watching the game from a young age fueled my passion, eventually leading me into the world of sports media and betting. Now, I get to analyze the sport I love and bring the latest updates to fans worldwide.