Barcelona's Lamine Yamal beats Kylian Mbappé to become youngest-ever LaLiga Player of the Season winner

Lamine Yamal's remarkable rise has reached another milestone. The Barcelona teenager has been named LaLiga Player of the Season after helping the Catalan club retain the Spanish title, beating a shortlist that included Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé, Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi, Real Betis midfielder Pablo Fornals and Villarreal forward Nicolas Pépé.The award caps another extraordinary year for the 18-year-old, who continues to shatter age-related records across the sport. Yamal became the youngest player ever named LaLiga Player of the Season, eclipsing previous winners Jude Bellingham and Lionel Messi, who were 20 and 21 respectively when they received the honour. After exploding onto the scene as a 16-year-old and playing a key role in Spain's Euro 2024 triumph, he has now cemented his status as Barcelona's attacking leader and one of world football's most influential young stars.Barcelona cruised to their 29th Spanish league title, finishing the campaign with 94 points, eight ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, and Yamal played a central role in that success throughout the season.The teenager finished the league campaign with 16 goals and 11 assists, ending the season as Barcelona's joint-leading scorer in LaLiga alongside Ferran Torres while also emerging as the division's most productive creator.No player in Spain's top flight registered more assists than Yamal, whose 11 goal contributions for teammates made him LaLiga's leading playmaker for the second consecutive season.His 16 goals also represented the highest-scoring league campaign of his young career, underlining how quickly his attacking game has evolved under Hansi Flick.Whether creating chances or finishing them himself, Yamal became Barcelona's go-to attacking outlet throughout the title race, with his contributions playing a major role in securing back-to-back league crowns.The numbers become even more impressive when viewed against the backdrop of Yamal's fitness issues.The winger made only 28 LaLiga appearances after missing several matches through groin and hamstring injuries during the campaign.His season was ultimately cut short by a hamstring problem suffered during Barcelona's 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo at the end of April.The injury forced him to miss the final six league matches of the season, yet his performances across the rest of the campaign proved enough to secure the league's top individual honour.Yamal's absence also raised concerns about his availability for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, with the teenager later admitting he feared the injury could rule him out of the tournament. However, he has since been included in Spain's squad, and national team coach Luis de la Fuente has suggested he could be fit in time for La Roja's opening match against Cape Verde on June 15.Yamal's triumph is particularly notable given the quality of the players he beat to the award. Mbappé arrived in Spain last summer amid enormous expectations and finished his debut LaLiga campaign as the division's top scorer with 25 goals.Despite winning the Pichichi Trophy, however, the French forward was unable to claim the league's biggest individual prize.Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi was also shortlisted after scoring 23 goals, although his impressive tally could not prevent the club's relegation.Pablo Fornals and Nicolas Pépé completed the shortlist after helping Real Betis and Villarreal respectively secure qualification for next season's UEFA Champions League.The winner was determined through a combined vote involving fans, club captains and a panel of experts, with Yamal ultimately emerging as the clear choice.Yamal's victory means Barcelona players have now won the award in consecutive seasons. Last year it was Raphinha who received the honour after producing 18 goals and 11 assists during Barcelona's title-winning campaign.This year's award remains in Catalonia while changing hands within the same dressing room, further highlighting Barcelona's dominance of the domestic competition over the past two seasons. That sustained success has now been reflected not only in the league table but also in the division's biggest individual awards.For Yamal, meanwhile, this marks the first time he has been named LaLiga Player of the Season, and given the trajectory of his career, it may not be the last.Yamal was not the only Barcelona figure recognised when LaLiga announced its end-of-season honours.Head coach Hansi Flick was named Coach of the Season after guiding Barcelona to another league title and overseeing one of the most entertaining attacking teams in Europe.Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García also collected the Save of the Season award for his remarkable stop from former Espanyol teammate Pere Milla.Elsewhere, Levante striker Carlos Espí was named Young Player of the Season after scoring 11 goals, including 10 across the final 13 matches of the campaign to help his side avoid relegation.Real Madrid midfielder Arda Güler received Goal of the Season recognition for his spectacular strike from the halfway line against Elche.Only two years ago, Yamal was still being introduced to senior football, but he has since developed into one of the most influential young players in the game.Today, he is a European champion with Spain, a LaLiga title winner, Barcelona's attacking leader and now officially the league's best player.At 18 years old, he has already become the first player to win LaLiga's Player of the Month award three times in a single season and has added the league's biggest individual honour to an expanding collection of achievements.With the World Cup now approaching and Spain once again viewing him as one of their central figures, Yamal's latest award feels less like the culmination of a breakthrough and more like another step in a career that continues to accelerate at remarkable speed.