2025 Kopa Trophy: Shortlist Announced for Best U21 Player Award
The prestigious French football magazine France Football has officially unveiled the shortlist for the Kopa Trophy 2025 — the annual award given to the world’s best player under the age of 21.
This year’s list includes some of the brightest young talents from across Europe and South America, many of whom are already making headlines at the highest level of the game.
Here are the 10 nominees for the 2025 Kopa Trophy:
Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona, Spain)
Ayoub Bouaddi (Lille, France)
Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Estêvão Willian (Chelsea, Brazil)
Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid, Spain)
Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal, England)
Rodrigo Mora (FC Porto, Portugal)
João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
Kenan Yıldız (Juventus, Turkey)
Voting for the Kopa Trophy is conducted by past winners of the Ballon d’Or, who are each asked to select their top three players from the list compiled by the editorial board of France Football.
Lamine Yamal, who continues to shine for both Barcelona and Spain, was last year’s winner — and the 17-year-old is once again among the top contenders.
The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony — where the Kopa Trophy will also be awarded — will take place in Paris on September 22.
