The final nominees for the Kopa Trophy, to be awarded at the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony, have been revealed, with Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal the favorite to retain his crown.
Named after Raymond Kopa, the winner of the 1958 Ballon d’Or, the Kopa Trophy was first awarded in 2018 and is given to the best player under the age of 21 in the world as decided by a jury of former Ballon d’Or winners.
Yamal won the award last year, finishing ahead of Real Madrid’s Arda Güler and Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, and it comes as no surprise to see Barcelona’s 18-year-old sensation among the nominees for the 2025 prize.
Barcelona actually have two representatives on the shortlist. Center back Pau Cubarsí also makes the cut after a stellar season as a starter in Hansi Flick’s title-winning back line.
Both players will be among the favorites to win this year but they may be in for a battle against Paris Saint-Germain duo João Neves and Désiré Doué, both of whom played crucial roles in winning the Champions League this past season.
New Real Madrid signing Dean Huijsen makes the cut after a dazzling year with Bournemouth, while there are also places for Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and new Chelsea winger Estêvão.
Rounding out the shortlist are Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, Porto forward Rodrigo Mora and in-demand Juventus star Kenan Yıldız.
Kylian Mbappé was the first winner of the award back in 2018. Since then, Matthijs de Ligt, Pedri, Gavi and Jude Bellingham have all raised the trophy before Yamal’s victory last year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ballon d’Or 2025: Full List of Kopa Trophy Nominees.