Barcelona star Lamine Yamal wins Breakthrough of the Year at Laureus Awards

Barcelona's prodigious talent, 17-year-old Lamine Yamal, added another prestigious accolade to his growing list of honours, claiming the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award at the 2025 Laureus World Sports Awards.

Yamal has become an instrumental figure for both Barcelona and the Spanish national team with a shining season for the Catalan giants, including six goals and twelve assists in La Liga, alongside three goals in the Champions League.

Yamal also played a key role in Spain's UEFA European Championship triumph, where he was also recognised as the Young Player of the Tournament.

Due to Barcelona's La Liga fixture against RCD Mallorca, scheduled less than 24 hours after the Madrid ceremony on Monday evening, Yamal was unable to attend the Laureus Awards in person. However, he conveyed his gratitude via a video message.  

Competitive shortlist

"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," Yamal stated in his acceptance speech.

The Laureus Awards, known for celebrating excellence across the sporting spectrum, recognised Yamal from a competitive shortlist featuring athletes such as Julien Alfred (athletics), Summer McIntosh (swimming), Letsile Tebogo (athletics), Victor Wembanyama (basketball), and the German football club Bayer Leverkusen.

The prestigious ceremony also celebrated other sporting icons, with Swedish pole vault sensation Mondo Duplantis named Sportsman of the Year.

American gymnastics icon Simone Biles secured the Sportswoman of the Year title.