Spaniards Rodri, Bonmati win Ballon d'Or awards, Yamal named best young player

Bonmati follows in the footsteps of her teammate Alexia Putellas, who won the women's Ballon d'Or in 2021 and 2022, marking four consecutive years that Spanish players from Barcelona have claimed the women's Ballon d'Or.

The Ballon d'Or, established by France Football magazine, has been awarded to men since 1956 and to women since 2018. It is decided by votes from journalists in the top 100 countries and regions in FIFA world rankings, with each journalist selecting a top 10. The player with the highest total points wins the award. Unlike FIFA's annual awards, fan votes are not included in the Ballon d'Or process.

For the first time, UEFA participated in the Ballon d'Or voting, discontinuing their own annual Best Player in Europe award in favor of merging with the Ballon d'Or.

Yamal, who broke out at the European Championship this summer, was the undisputed recipient of the Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21. Since the start of the year, the wonderkid has been setting records, scoring five goals and providing six assists in 11 La Liga matches so far this season.

Real Madrid's French forward Kylian Mbappe and Bayern Munich's Harry Kane shared the Gerd Muller Trophy, awarded to the top club and country scorer. Aston Villa's Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez retained the Yashin Trophy as the best goalkeeper, and U.S. women's Olympic-winning coach Emma Hayes was named Women's Coach of the Year.

In addition, France Football presented a special award to the family of late German legend Franz Beckenbauer, received by his wife and son.