Barcelona duo Lamine Yamal and Vicky Lopez are the winners of NXGN 2025 after coming out on top in GOAL's annual lists of football's top teenagers.
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Yamal first player to win twiceLopez rewarded for superb form in SpainCheck out the full men's and women'sNXGN listsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
After previously coming out on top in 2024, Yamal has become the first player to win NXGN for a second time after a sensational 12 months that has seen the 17-year-old establish himself as one of the leading players in European football at Barca after starring for Spain as they won Euro 2024. Lopez, meanwhile, has also grown into a key player for both club and country, with the 18-year-old midfielder regarded as a future superstar of the game if she maintains her current rate of development.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Yamal faced tough competition on the men's side as he beat off Palmeiras' Chelsea-bound forward Estevao Willian and Barca team-mate Pau Cubarsi to secure top spot. Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery and Real Madrid forward Endrick rounded out the top five, with Arsenal's Ethan Nwaneri the top Premier League player in sixth.
Lopez also had club-mates close behind her, as Blaugrana duo Sydney Schertenleib and Giulia Dragoni finished third and fourth, respectively. Second place went to Bayern Munich's Alara Sehitler, while United States international Lily Yohannes ranked fifth.
DID YOU KNOW?
Barcelona are the first club to have the winners of both the men's and women's NXGN in the same year. Barca players have also now finished No.1 on the men's side on a record three occasions, following Yamal's previous triumph in 2024 and Ansu Fati's win 2021. They surpass Borussia Dortmund, who have had the No.1 men's player on two occasions (Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham).
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL & LOPEZ?
Yamal and Lopez are both playing important roles for their respective teams as Barca chase La Liga titles and Champions League triumphs, while Lopez will likely be part of the Spain squad at this summer's European Championship. Yamal, meanwhile, is so young that he will be eligible for a NXGN three-peat in 2026…