Kopa Trophy nominees list: Updated shortlist of contenders for world's best young soccer player award
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Kopa Trophy nominees list: Updated shortlist of contenders for world's best young soccer player award originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Awarded alongside the prestigious Ballon d'Or, the Kopa Trophy is considered one of the most coveted awards for young football players.
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Given to the best player under the age of 21 in the world, the Kopa Trophy honors the individual who is the best young talent around the globe.
Unlike the Golden Boy award given out by Italian publication Tuttosport, multi-time winners are allowed for the Kopa Trophy, so it's widely expected that Barcelona standout Lamine Yamal will win the award for a third time in 2026 after being named in 2024 and 2025.
The Sporting News brings you the shortlist of players announced for the 2026 Kopa Trophy, from which the final winner will be selected.
LIVE:Ballon d'Or 2026 updates as winners and final awards results are announced
Kopa Trophy nominees for 2026 award
- Kerim Alajbegovic (RB Salzburg, now Juventus and Bosnia-Herzogovina)
- Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille, now Manchester City and Morocco)
- Pau Cubarsí(Barcelona and Spain)
- Yan Diamonde (RB Leipzig, now Real Madrid and Ivory Coast)
- Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich and Germany)
- Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth and France)
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona and Spain)
- Johan Manzambi (Freiburg, now Aston Villa and Switzerland)
- Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen and Algeria)
- Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain and France)
When is the 2026 Ballon d'Or award ceremony?
The 2026 Ballon d'Or will be awarded at a ceremony on Monday, October 26.
It will be at this ceremony where other awards such as the Kopa Trophy and the Yashin Trophy will be handed out.
While the ceremony is usually held in Paris, France, the gala for the 70th edition of the men's trophy will be held this time in London, England. This is to honor inaugural winner, Sir Stanley Matthews.
MORE:How Ballon d'Or voting works
How is the Kopa Trophy winner decided?
A panel of international journalists compiled by France Football comes up with the 30 finalists for the men's Ballon d'Or and the Yashin Award shortlist for the world's best goalkeeper.
Also, a group of 50 international women's soccer journalists picks the women's Ballon d'Or. Lastly, a panel of 32 former Ballon d'Or winners nominates the 10 Kopa Trophy finalists (under-21 players).
The reduction in the number of jurors is anticipated to bring more objectivity, with a focus on individual excellence and who is most deserving of being the overall winner of the Ballon d'Or.
Madrid's voluble protests over Rodri's win and Messi's disputed triumph in 2023 see the new system already under strain.