Who is the youngest player ever nominated for the Ballon d'Or?

In a league of his own. Lamine Yamal is by far the youngest nominee in the history of the Ballon d'Or, across both men and women. The Spanish forward was only 17 years, 1 month, and 22 days old when he received his first nomination in 2024. This represents a lead of more than a year over Florian Albert. The Hungarian, who would go on to win the Ballon d'Or in 1967, had held the record since 1959 at 18 years and 3 months.

On the men's side, the Barça winger has shattered a 65-year-old record. In the women's category, Real Madrid forward Linda Caicedo has also redefined the statistics in 2023 by securing a nomination at 18 years, 6 months and 15 days. This makes the Colombian the third youngest nominee in history, men and women combined. Who completes the Top 5? Norman Whiteside (18 years, 7 months, and 20 days in 1984) and Kylian Mbappé (18 years, 9 months, and 20 days in 2017).