The shortlist for the 2026 Kopa Trophy, the award given to the best player under the age of 21 in the world, has been announced. The trophy is handed out alongside the Ballon d'Or and is considered one of the most prestigious honors for young talent in football.
Unlike Tuttosport's Golden Boy award, the Kopa Trophy allows multiple wins by the same player. Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, who won the award in both 2024 and 2025, is widely expected to claim it for a third time in 2026.
Kopa Trophy nominees for 2026
- Kerim Alajbegovic (RB Salzburg, now Juventus and Bosnia-Herzegovina)
- Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille, now Manchester City and Morocco)
- Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona and Spain)
- Yan Diomande (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 Ballon d'Or ceremony?
The 2026 Ballon d'Or, along with the Kopa Trophy and the Yashin Trophy, will be awarded at a ceremony on Monday, October 26. While the event is usually staged in Paris, this year's 70th edition of the men's trophy will be held in London, England, as a tribute to inaugural winner Sir Stanley Matthews.
How is the Kopa Trophy winner decided?
A panel of international journalists assembled by France Football draws up the 30 finalists for the men's Ballon d'Or as well as the Yashin Award shortlist for the world's best goalkeeper. A separate group of 50 international women's soccer journalists selects the women's Ballon d'Or winner. The Kopa Trophy's 10 finalists, covering under-21 players, are nominated by a panel of 32 former Ballon d'Or winners.
The reduction in the number of jurors is intended to bring more objectivity to the process, with a focus on individual excellence and determining who is most deserving of the overall Ballon d'Or. Still, the new system remains under strain following Real Madrid's vocal protests over Rodri's win and the disputed 2023 triumph of Lionel Messi.
