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Lamine Yamal is just 18 years old, yet he already holds two Laureus awards — a distinction shared in the soccer world only by Lionel Messi.
The Barcelona forward claimed the inaugural Young Sportsperson of the Year award at the Laureus World Sports Awards on Monday, cementing his status as the top athlete under 21 and securing consecutive honors after his Breakthrough Sportsperson of the Year win in 2025.
"I am thrilled to be the first recipient of this award for the best young athlete," Yamal said at the Cibeles Palace in Madrid. "It's a real honor. I'd like to thank the [Laureus] Academy; all the legends who voted for me and are here tonight; my two brothers sitting over there; Jorge [Mendes, Yamal's agent], who has always been by my side; my team; my mother who is looking after my brother at home; my father; my grandmother; and of course my teammates and the coaching staff.
"I am truly happy. I hope this motivates me to keep pushing forward. There is still so much ahead of me."
Yamal also took the opportunity to pay tribute to former Barcelona icon Messi, voicing his ambition to follow a similar path.
Lamine Yamal Lauds Lionel Messi
Messi also boasts two Laureus awards, having claimed his first World Sportsman of the Year honor in 2020 while at Barcelona — becoming the first soccer player to ever achieve the feat. He claimed the title again in 2023, making him the only team-sport athlete to win it twice. The Inter Miami skipper remains the sole soccer player to have ever taken home the award.
It's clear that Yamal has his eyes on the Laureus World Sports Awards' most coveted prize, awarded to the athlete who demonstrates the greatest level of performance and achievement worldwide. Tennis star Carlos Alcaraz claimed the honor in 2026.
"For me, Messi is the greatest player in history," Yamal said on Monday. "I'm not sure if he's the best athlete across all sports, but if not, he's certainly close. He's an idol. Everyone respects him for everything he's accomplished. He was part of the childhood of every kid who played in the streets or at the park.
"I hope I can follow in his footsteps and have one of those [trophies] in my home someday."
🖊️ Lamine Yamal signs his name in Laureus World Sports Awards history.#Laureus26 | @FCBarcelona_cat @LaLiga pic.twitter.com/i3b8Pqa19v
Yamal has repeatedly praised Messi in the past, making clear his intention to use the Argentine legend's career as a model for his own.
"Lionel Messi is, without question, the greatest player in history for me," Yamal said last July. "We're both left-footed. He played for Barça, and so do I. There are many similarities between us, but I want to forge my own path.
"I hope I can build a career as successful as his, but I focus only on playing my own game, writing my own story and having people remember the name 'Lamine Yamal.'"
Yamal, who tops Barcelona's scoring charts with 15 goals and 11 assists this season as the club closes in on the La Liga title, is well on his way to doing just that. He also claimed the 2025 Kopa Award just seven months ago — his second in a row — and recently made Champions League history as the youngest player to ever reach 20 goal contributions in Europe's top club competition.