We already know the list of candidates for the award for the best young player of the season. The Kopa Trophy, in honor of the player Raymond Kopa, has been awarded by France Football magazine since 2018, although in 2020 it was suspended due to the pandemic. The requirements to be nominated are, be under 21 years old and have not previously won the award.
Among the favorite candidates this year are Pedri, Musiala or Bellingham. These three footballers without having reached the age of 20 have established themselves in the elite and have been called up for the Eurocup by their national teams. Many agree that Pedri, due to his relevance in Barça and the Spanish team that reached the semifinals of the Eurocup and the final of the Olympic Games, is the winner of the award, in fact, the canary has also been nominated for the Ballon d’Or. But do you remember who the previous Kopa Trophy winners were?
The French striker won the trophy for the best young player after being one of the key players in the World Cup that France won in 2018. Mbappé that season also became a starter at PSG at just 19 years old. He is currently a regular candidate for the Ballon d’Or, despite the fact that he is still very young.
The Dutch center-back had a magnificent 2019 qualifying with Ajax Amsterdam to the Champions semi-finals, even with his own goals. De Ligt proved at the age of 20 to be a very complete center-back, with the physical ability to prevail over rivals, tactical intelligence to be well positioned and good ball handling, which earned him the Kopa Trophy and signed for Juventus.
The Kopa Trophy seeks to gain the prestige that other similar awards such as the Golden Boy already have, which is delivered by the Italian magazine Tuttosport, and which has also already given its candidates.