Mallorca's Cata Coll wins Ballon d'Or goalkeeper prize

Mallorca, Spain: Cata Coll wins the women’s Yashin Trophy at Monday’s Ballon d’Or ceremony, becoming the first Spanish goalkeeper to take the award. Unai Simón wins the men’s prize, making this the first time Spanish goalkeepers have won both awards.

Coll plays for Barça Femení and Spain. She won the Champions League with her club and beat four other goalkeepers in the vote, including Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton. On stage, she thanked her team-mates, saying she could not have won without them. She also had a message for girls who dream of playing in goal: knowing they could stand there one day matters more than any trophy.

Simón, who plays for Athletic Club and Spain, finished ahead of fellow Spaniards Joan Garcia of FC Barcelona and David Raya of Arsenal FC. He thanked his family, coaches and team-mates. Coll’s final words brought the moment back to the island: she said the award belonged to her family, Mallorca, her team-mates, Barça and Spain.

Topics: Sport

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com