At the age of 19, the greatest footballers of recent times were barely taking their first steps in the history of the Ballon d'Or.

For example, Lionel Messi was ranked 20th in the 2006 edition when he was that age, whilst Cristiano Ronaldo was ranked 14th two years earlier.

However, Lamine Yamal has come along to completely overturn that pattern and achieve a milestone that no other footballer has ever managed in the history of the award.

At just 19 years of age, the FC Barcelona winger has already secured two podium finishes in the Ballon d'Or. No player had ever made it onto the podium before turning 20.

Not only did Lamine Yamal achieve this, but he also repeated the feat in consecutive editions. That is why, below, we will look at why this achievement is already historic.

Lamine Yamal’s Ballon d'Or journey

His progression over the last three editions reflects an acceleration unprecedented in modern football:

  • 2024: 8th place (aged 17)

  • 2025: 2nd place (aged 18)

  • 2026: 3rd place (aged 19)

In his short professional career, as well as securing two consecutive podium finishes in the top award, he has won three Young Talent of the Year trophies.

The Kylian Mbappé case: the only close parallel

In recent times, only the emergence of Kylian Mbappé offers a genuine parallel.

In 2018, aged just 19 and having been crowned world champion in Russia, the French forward caused a stir at the Ballon d'Or ceremony.

In that edition, Mbappé finished in a highly impressive fourth place, behind Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann. His first podium finish came in 2023, when he was already 24 years old.

Where were Messi and Cristiano at the age of 19?

A direct comparison with the two players who have won the most Ballons d'Or highlights the immense scale of Lamine Yamal's impact on football.

To put this into perspective, Messi made his debut in the 2006 vote, finishing 20th at the age of 19. At the same age, Cristiano Ronaldo made his debut in 2004, finishing in 14th place.

Both reached the podium for the first time in the 2007 edition, which saw Kaká emerge as the winner. Cristiano Ronaldo finished in second place and Messi completed the top three.

Lamine Yamal, aged just 19, has already secured two consecutive podium finishes in his first three nominations. A truly remarkable feat in the history of the award.

More examples of precocious talent in the Ballon d'Or

Before Lamine Yamal’s breakthrough, no footballer had ever reached the Ballon d'Or podium aged under 20.

However, there are examples of footballers who did manage to reach the top spots after turning 20.

For example, Ronaldo Nazário finished second in 1996, just one point behind Matthias Sammer, at the age of 20 years and 3 months.

Meanwhile, the legendary Gianni Rivera finished second in the 1963 edition, behind Lev Yashin, aged 20 years and 4 months.

These figures show that Lamine Yamal has just set a precedent that will be difficult to match in the history of the Ballon d'Or.

Will the Spaniard be able to achieve the ultimate honour in future editions?