Lamine Yamal Shatters Jude Bellingham's Stunning La Liga Record

Lamine Yamal has been crowned the 2025–26 La Liga Player of the Season, surpassing Jude Bellingham's record as the youngest recipient in the award's history.

With Barcelona standing head and shoulders above every other side in La Liga this season, it came as no surprise that the accolade found its way to Yamal, who proved to be the most decisive player in Hansi Flick's squad.

It was a landmark campaign for the 18-year-old sensation. In his debut season wearing Barcelona's prestigious No. 10 jersey, Yamal netted 16 goals and registered a league-best 11 assists across just 28 appearances due to injury absences. The youngster was a dominant presence throughout, and this recognition felt inevitable after he became the first player ever to claim the Player of the Month award on three separate occasions in a single season.

At just 18 years old, Yamal eclipses the record previously held by Bellingham, who claimed the honor at 20 during the 2023–24 campaign. The England star enjoyed a remarkable first season at the Bernabéu, contributing 19 goals and five assists to help Madrid clinch their most recent La Liga crown.

Lionel Messi had held the earlier benchmark, becoming the inaugural winner of the award as a 21-year-old back in 2008–09. With a staggering nine La Liga Player of the Season titles to his name, Messi's record for the most victories is unlikely to be threatened anytime soon, with Karim Benzema being the sole other player to have won the award on more than one occasion.

All Time La Liga Player of the Season Winners

Barcelona Dominate 2025–26 La Liga Awards

In addition to being named La Liga's Player of the Season, Yamal's 16-goal haul earned him the Zarra Trophy as the leading Spanish scorer in the division, an honor he shared with Barça teammate Ferran Torres. It marks the first time a Barcelona player has claimed the award since it was introduced in 2005–06.

Joan García's outstanding debut campaign at Barça earned him the Zamora Trophy as La Liga's finest goalkeeper for the first time, edging out closest rival Thibaut Courtois. The Spanish shot-stopper kept a clean sheet in half of his league outings, earning his maiden call-up to the Spain national team and a place on La Roja's World Cup squad.

For the second consecutive year, Flick was honored as La Liga's manager of the season after guiding the Catalan club to another commanding league triumph. Barcelona were even more impressive statistically in Flick's second season, with a historic run of 19 wins from 19 home matches standing as the defining achievement of a Barça side that will be remembered as one of the most dominant in Spanish top-flight history.

Barcelona have ruled Spanish football for back-to-back seasons, and with Yamal at the helm of their attack, they possess every ingredient needed to sustain their dominance well into the future.