During the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the Kopa Trophy has been awarded to the best young footballers.
France Football has presented this award since 2018, and this trophy has been named after the late French forward Raymond Kopa.
Youngsters are key to the growth of the football. The Kopa Trophy is an opportunity to popularise the top-performing youngsters in the football world.
Just like the Ballon d’Or award, the top nominees for the Kopa Trophy have been released prior. Among the nominees, the highest-voted youngster wins the Kopa Trophy.
Article Contents:
Who was Raymond Kopa?
Kopa Trophy: Criteria
Kopa Trophy Winners, 1st Runner-ups and 2nd Runner-ups
Do You Know? (Facts)
Who was Raymond Kopa?
Raymond Kopa was one of the legendary French footballers. While his professional career stretched between 1949 and 1967, he served for the France national football team between 1952 and 1962.
Raymond Kopa was the first French footballer and third overall footballer to win the Ballon d’Or in 1958. Meanwhile, he finished in the top three places in all the first four Ballon d’Or editions (1956-1959).
In 1970, Kopa became the first footballer to be honoured with the Légion d'honneur, the highest French order of merit, both military and civil.
At the 2004 FIFA Award Ceremony, Brazilian football legend Pelé named Raymond Kopa as one of his 125 Greatest Living Footballers.
Kopa Trophy: Criteria
Players must be under the age of 21 years.
The top players of the non-UEFA leagues can also participate and win the Kopa Trophy.
Kopa Trophy Winners, 1st Runner-ups and 2nd Runner-ups
Year | Winner (Nation/Latest Club) | 1st Runner-up (Nation/Latest Club) | 2nd Runner-up (Nation/Latest Club) |
2018 | Kylian Mbappé (France/PSG) | Christian Pulisic (USA/Borussia Dortmund) | Justin Kluivert (Netherlands/Roma) |
2019 | Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands/Juventus) | Jadon Sancho (England/Borussia Dortmund) | João Félix (Portugal/Atlético Madrid) |
2021 | Pedri (Spain/Barcelona) | Jude Bellingham (England/Borussia Dortmund) | Jamal Musiala (Germany/Bayern Munich) |
2022 | Gavi (Spain/Barcelona) | Eduardo Camavinga (France/Real Madrid) | Jamal Musiala (Germany/Bayern Munich) |
2023 | Jude Bellingham (England/Borussia Dortmund) | Jamal Musiala (Germany/Bayern Munich) | Pedri (Spain/Barcelona) |
(Latest Club = latest club according to the award tenure)
Do You Know?
French forward Kylian Mbappé won the first Kopa Trophy in 2018.
Spanish La Liga club Barcelona is the only club to have two Kopa Trophy winners (Pedri in 2021 and Gavi in 2022).
German footballer Jamal Musiala finished in the third position in two consecutive Kopa Trophy editions (2021 and 2022). He also finished as the runners-up in the 2023 edition.
