Vicky López Honours Late Nigerian Mother After Winning Ballon d’Or Award

Barcelona and Spain forward Vicky López has paid an emotional tribute to her late Nigerian mother, Joy Felix, after winning the Women’s Young Player of the Year award at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday.

The 20-year-old dedicated the honour to her mother, who died when she was 11, saying she continued to feel her presence and draw strength from the lessons she taught her.

“Mum, although you can’t be with me physically, I feel your presence every day. Everything I’ve achieved I owe to you, so thank you for teaching me never to give up,” López said.

She also thanked those who had supported her football journey and called for continued efforts to improve the sport.

López, whose father is Spanish and mother Nigerian, was born in 2006 in Vallecas, a working-class neighbourhood in Madrid. Her football journey began at the age of four, when she played in the streets with her older brother, Jesus.

Spanish football journalist Irati Vidal told BBC Sport that street football played a major role in shaping López’s style. The Barcelona star developed her flair, agility and speed while playing for fun and trying to imitate Brazilian forward Neymar’s dribbling skills.

López’s latest individual honour follows a successful 2025-26 season in which Barcelona won Liga F, the Copa de la Reina, the Supercopa de España and the UEFA Women’s Champions League. The award was her second consecutive Women’s Young Player of the Year title, following her victory in the inaugural edition in 2025.

Beyond her achievements at club level, López has set her sights on representing Spain at the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. She has described wearing Spain’s national shirt as a dream shared by many young footballers and said winning the World Cup would rank among the greatest achievements of her career.

Her ambitions are also closely connected to the memory of her mother, whom she has identified as a lasting source of motivation. “For me, my mother is everything. A goal I have in life is to make her proud,” she said.