Kopa Trophy All Time Winners List, Age Limit, Meaning, History Of The Best Young Player

The best footballer under the age of 21 receives the Kopa Trophy, which is sponsored by the France Football magazine, know the previous winners list

The laureate of the coveted prize, named after former France national football team midfielder Raymond Kopa, is chosen by previous Ballon d’Or winners and presented at the annual France Football ceremony together with the Ballon d’Or award. The Kopa Trophy is granted to the best U-21 player competing in the top division of a European country, unlike the Golden Boy award, which is only given to players who play in Europe.

Kopa Trophy All Time Winners Full List, Age Limit, Meaning, History Of The Best Young Player

The first Kopa Trophy was won in 2018 by Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, who also helped France win the FIFA World Cup that year. American football sensation Christian Pulisic finished second, and Patrick Kluivert’s son Justin, a former striker for the Dutch national team, finished third.

In the meantime, Matthijs De Ligt of the Netherlands won the Kopa Trophy in 2019, Jadon Sancho of England took second, and Joo Félix of Portugal, a rising talent, took third. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the Kopa Trophy in 2020, much like it did for the Ballon d’Or.

Kopa Trophy winners list

The 2022 Kopa Trophy nominees

On the candidates list, six players have returned for the second year in a row, although the winner from the previous year, Pedri, is notably missing. The top contenders to take home the trophy this year are England’s Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham, as well as Spain midfielder Gavi.

It’s important to note that half of the nominees play for the German Bundesliga.

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