Lamine Yamal was named the 2025–26 La Liga player of the season, breaking Jude Bellingham’s record as the youngest player in history to win the award.
In a season where Barcelona were far and away the best team in La Liga, there was little doubt that the award would end up in Yamal’s hands given he was the most influential player on Hansi Flick’s side.
It was a career year for the 18-year-old superstar. In his first season donning Barcelona’s iconic No. 10 shirt, Yamal scored 16 goals and bagged a La Liga-leading 11 assists, despite playing just 28 games due to injuries. The teenager was an absolute force, and this award was clearly coming after he became the first player in history to be voted as the Player of the Month three times in a single season.
At the tender age of 18, Yamal overtakes Bellingham’s record set in 2023–24, when he won the award at the age of 20. The England international had a dream debut season for Los Blancos where his 19 goals and five assists helped Madrid win their most recent La Liga title.
Lionel Messi held the previous record, set when he became the first recipient of the distinction as a 21-year-old in 2008–09. With an absurd record of nine La Liga Player of the Season trophies in his personal collection, Messi will continue to own the record for the most wins for a very long time, with Karim Benzema being the only other player to win the award multiple times.
All Time La Liga Player of the Season Winners
|
Season |
Player |
Team |
|---|---|---|
|
2008–09 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
|
2009–10 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
|
2010–11 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
|
2011–12 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
|
2012–13 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
|
2013–14 |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Real Madrid |
|
2014–15 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
|
2015–16 |
Antoine Griezmann |
Atlético Madrid |
|
2016–17 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
|
2017–18 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
|
2018–19 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
|
2019–20 |
Karim Benzema |
Real Madrid |
|
2020–21 |
Jan Oblak |
Atlético Madrid |
|
2021–22 |
Karim Benzema |
Real Madrid |
|
2022–23 |
Marc-André ter Stegen |
Barcelona |
|
2023–24 |
Jude Bellingham |
Real Madrid |
|
2024–25 |
Raphinha |
Barcelona |
|
2025–26 |
Lamine Yamal |
Barcelona |
Barcelona Dominate 2025–26 La Liga Awards
Apart from being named the La Liga player of the season, Yamal’s 16 goals also saw him win the Zarra Trophy as the top Spanish goalscorer in the league this season, an honor he shared with fellow Barça teammate Ferran Torres. It’s the first time that a Barça player has won the award since its inception in 2005–06.
Joan García’s sensational debut season with Barça saw him scoop the Zamora Trophy as the best goalkeeper in La Liga for the first time in his career, beating out nearest chaser Thibaut Courtois. The Spaniard kept a clean sheet in half of his league games this season, meriting his first call-up to the Spain national team and a spot on La Roja’s World Cup roster.
For the second campaign on the spin, Flick was named the La Liga manager of the season as he led the Catalans to another dominant league title. Barcelona were better statistically in La Liga during Flick’s second season, and a historic 19 wins in 19 home games record stands out as the crowning achievement of a Barça side that will go down as one of the most dominant in Spain’s top-flight history.
Barcelona dominated Spanish soccer for the second season in a row, and with Yamal leading the way, they have what it takes to continue their reign for the foreseeable future.
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