By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Vicky López, the Nigerian-born Barcelona starlet, has etched her name into football history by becoming the inaugural women’s Kopa Trophy winner at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris.
The 17-year-old forward, widely regarded as one of the brightest prospects in world football, was crowned the best U21 player in the world as France Football extended the prestigious youth award to women’s football for the first time.
An emotional López dedicated the award to her late mother, saying: “I dedicate this award to my mother, who is protecting me from heaven.”
She also credited her teammates for her development: “They have supported me and allowed me to compete for the best team in the world at just 16 years old.”
The rising star further paid tribute to the pioneers of women’s football: “Thanks to them I am able to receive this award.”
López has been on a rapid rise over the past two seasons. In 2023, she became the third-youngest goalscorer in UEFA Women’s Champions League history for Barcelona. Last year, she claimed the Golden Girl prize, cementing her status as Europe’s finest young talent.
With the Kopa Trophy now added to her growing collection, López’s reputation continues to soar, underscoring her as one of the defining figures of the next generation in women’s football.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
