Key Takeaways
Every year in football, there’s a new young talent that takes the world by storm. And while the Golden Boy award has recognised the achievements of said young players for several years now, the Kopa Trophy has also recently been used as a measure for the best youngster on the planet.
Presented at the same time as the Ballon d’Or prize for both men’s and women’s football, the Kopa Trophy is given to the best performing under 21-year-old from across the world, who is selected by a jury consisting of former Ballon d’Or winners. Presented by France Football, the award is named after French footballer Raymond Kopa, who lifted three European Cups while at Real Madrid in the 1950s.
However, the prize is a relatively new one in comparison to the other prizes presented to other more senior players within the game. First handed out in 2018, there have since been six recipients of the trophy, with no honour being given out in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But how do the winners of the prestigious prize all compare? All six individuals who have got their hands on the prize so far have been ranked from worst to best, with a variety of ranking factors taken into account.
Ranking factors
- Output during a year – how many goals, assists or clean sheets did each player register in the year they won the prize.
- Trophies – arguably the most important measure of success. Did a player experience great levels of success in the year they claimed the award?
- Importance to their respective teams – although subjective, if a player was more important to their team than another on their way to experiencing success, they were ranked higher in the list.
Matthijs de Ligt (2019)
Clubs/Nation: Ajax, Juventus, Netherlands
That Ajax team under Erik ten Hag truly was something special. No football fan will forget that run to the Champions League semi-final, where they were cruelly eliminated by Spurs. And Matthijs de Ligtwas at the heart of everything good about that team.
The Dutchman truly looked unbeatable and fearless at the back, but it was his leadership that also stood out. Purely based on importance to a club, he arguably deserves to be higher. Moreover, De Ligt completed a domestic double in 2019, despite the heartbreak on the European stage, before completing a move to Juventus. Although he would go on to lift a Scudetto the following year, the other players in this list simply achieved slightly more in the years they collected the Kopa Trophy.
Gavi (2022)
Clubs/Nation: Barcelona, Spain
Breaking into the senior Barcelona setup is no easy feat, despite the wealth of talent that has come through the prestigious La Masia academy. And very, very few stick the landing when handed an opportunity. Yet when Gavi broke into the Blaugrana team in 2021, he took his chance and ran with it.
Although he wouldn’t win the Kopa Trophy in the year of his first La Liga game, he would prove to be vital the following year. Playing 2,326 minutes of football, he solidified his starting role at the Camp Nou, lifting a Spanish Super Cup for his troubles – all before turning 18! He would then continue to influence Xavi’s free-flowing Barcelona side the following term, picking up the Kopa Trophy in October 2022 along the way.
Pedri (2021)
Clubs/Nation: Barcelona, Spain
Another Barcelona midfielder, but one who arguably shone even brighter than his teammate Gavi during the year he collected the award. Breaking into the Camp Nou side under Ronald Koeman in September 2020, Pedri embedded himself in the engine room and made that spot his own.
A debut in the national side would follow in 2021, and he would quickly become indispensable there too, starting every game of Spain’s run to the Euro 2020 semi-finals. Since then, he’s struggled with a series of injuries, but he was certainly a worthy recipient of the Kopa Trophy that year, as he beat Eduardo Camavinga and Jamal Musiala to the honour.
Jude Bellingham (2023)
Clubs/Nation: Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid, England
It’s a testament to how good the top two have been that Jude Bellingham only receives a bronze medal in this list. Breaking through at Birmingham, many top teams were interested in signing the English midfielder, but he ultimately chose to join Borussia Dortmund. And boy did he flourish in Germany.
In the year he collected the award, he was the vital presence in Die Schwarzgelben’sengine room, with eight goals and five assists to his name. Although they fell just short of the Bundesliga title, Bellingham’s poise on the ball and effectiveness moving forward consequently led to a transfer to Real Madrid. He proceeded to tear up La Liga for fun, scoring 13 goals before the end of 2023, and he’s continued to thrive since then.
Lamine Yamal (2024)
Clubs/Nation: Barcelona, Spain
The newest recipient of the prestigious honour, and based on the factors above, it’s hard to argue that he’s not the second-best player to ever win it. Lamine Yamal truly burst onto the scene with Barcelona, acting as a shining light at the end of Xavi’s reign at the Camp Nou. Since making his La Liga debut at 15, the Spaniard has gone on to rack up 10 goals in the league, while 2023/24 saw him register 12 goal contributions (five goals, seven assists).
But he wasn’t content with that, and proceeded to put in several spell-binding performances at Euro 2024 with Spain, playing a key role in their eventual triumph. With a stunning goal against France in the semi-finals, along with breaking several records, there was only going to be one winner of the Kopa Trophy in 2024.
Kylian Mbappe (2018)
Clubs/Nation: Monaco, PSG, France
Top spot was always going to be non-negotiable. When players like Kylian Mbappe come around, they always make their mark – and the year the Frenchman lifted the Kopa Trophy was truly special.
His domination of Ligue 1 continued in his first full year as a PSG player, but his success at the 2018 World Cup was even sweeter. Mbappe played a starring role for Les Bleus, scoring four goals, including one in the final against Croatia, while also claiming the Young Player of the Tournament award. Output? Tick. Trophies? Tick. Importance? Tick. It will take some player to replace him as the best player to claim the Kopa Trophy.
