The fabled Ballon d'Or ceremony has been expanded significantly in recent times, with an array of different awards up for grabs.
The Ballon d'Or is handed out to the best male footballer at the end of every year, but we are now blessed with the Ballon d'Or Feminin - the same prize but for female footballers - and a variety of other high-profile accolades handed out to the best and brightest in the game.
One prize that has been dished out at the ceremony in recent years is the Kopa Trophy, with some of the world's modern greats having claimed the individual prize.
But what is the Kopa Trophy? And who has won it previously?
What is the Kopa Trophy?
The Kopa Trophy has been awarded at the Ballon d'Or ceremony since 2018 and is claimed by the best performing male footballer under the age of 21. It can be won by players outside of UEFA competition and leagues, which sets it apart from the Golden Boy award.
The Kopa Trophy is judged by a selection of former Ballon d'Or winners, who will come to an agreement on the best player under the age of 21 from the previous season. In 2024, the award will be attributed to the highest-level performer during the 2023/24 campaign. It's presented by France Football, who also hand out the Ballon d'Or.
The award is named after the legendary Raymond Kopa and there have only been five past winners after 2020's award was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Who is Raymond Kopa?
Raymond Kopa won the third ever Ballon d'Or in 1958 and is a legendary figure for France, Real Madrid and Reims. The forward, who passed away in 2017, was one of the most esteemed footballers of the 1950s and 1960s, winning three European Cups and two La Liga titles with Madrid and four French top-flight titles with Reims.
He won the 1958 Ballon d'Or for his performances for club and country, helping France to a third-placed finish at the World Cup that year having already won La Liga and the European Cup. He made 45 appearances for Les Bleus and was nicknamed 'Little Napoleon' by the Spanish press for his ability to command the forward line.
Past winners of the Kopa Trophy
There have been five different winners of the Kopa Trophy with players unlikely to win the prize on multiple occasions given the award's age restrictions. However, all past victors have gone on to make quite the splash.
Kylian Mbappe was the inaugural winner of the Kopa Trophy in 2018 having sparkled with Paris Saint-Germain. The Frenchman had already won Ligue 1 twice before claiming the accolade but still awaits his first Ballon d'Or crown. Surely it's only a matter of time.
Arguably the most underwhelming winner of the Kopa Trophy came in 2019, with now Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt claiming the prize with Juventus. It was, however, his performances in an Ajax shirt that caught the eye, with the Dutch defender having failed to live up to his immense potential thus far.
After 2020's cancelled event it was a pair of Barcelona midfielders who scooped the next two titles. Pedri and Gavi were deserved winners in 2021 and 2022 respectively as they had La Blaugrana supporters purring over the emergence of two Andres Iniesta regens.
The most recent Kopa Trophy was won by a 2024 Ballon d'Or contender, with Jude Bellingham earning the title for his Borussia Dortmund displays despite Real Madrid having become his home by the time he claimed the award.
Every Kopa Trophy winner
Year | Winner | Club | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Kylian Mbappe | Paris Saint-Germain | France |
2019 | Matthijs de Ligt | Juventus | Netherlands |
2021 | Pedri | Barcelona | Spain |
2022 | Gavi | Barcelona | Spain |
2023 | Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid | England |
Nominees for the 2024 Kopa Trophy
Ten sparkling young wonderkids have been nominated for 2024's Kopa Trophy - which will be awarded on 28 October - but it's Barcelona and Spanish star Lamine Yamal who appears destined for victory. After winning the Goal and Young Player of the Tournament awards at Euro 2024 en route to the title, the 17-year-old winger is a shoo-in to win.
Yamal's Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsi is also in the mix, while Man Utd duo Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo and Manchester City winger Savinho are the Premier League's representatives.
Karim Konate is the only nominee outside of Europe's top five leagues, although Joao Neves played for Benfica during the 2023/24 season despite having since joined Paris Saint-Germain.
The full list of nominees is as follows:
- Pau Cubarsi
- Alejandro Garnacho
- Arda Guler
- Karim Konate
- Kobbie Mainoo
- Joao Neves
- Savinho
- Mathys Tel
- Lamine Yamal
- Warren Zaire-Emery
READ MORE ON THE 2024 BALLON D'OR NOMINEES & FAVOURITES
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