Exciting Nominees for the Kopa Trophy Announced Ahead of Ballon d'Or Ceremony
Kopa Trophy Nominees Revealed
Paris [France], September 8: Among the nominees for the prestigious 'Kopa Trophy', which will be awarded at the upcoming Ballon d'Or ceremony in October, are Spain's Lamine Yamal, Real Madrid's Yan Diamonde from Ivory Coast, and Switzerland's Johan Manzambi.
The official social media account for the Ballon d'Or has begun announcing the nominees for the 'Kopa Trophy', which recognizes the top under-21 talent of the season. The Ballon d'Or ceremony, the pinnacle of individual accolades in football, is scheduled to take place in the UK on October 26.
Lamine Yamal played a crucial role in Spain's FIFA World Cup victory and also contributed to FC Barcelona's success, netting 25 goals and providing 20 assists across 57 matches, which included winning the FIFA World Cup, La Liga, and the Spanish Super Cup, according to the Ballon d'Or's official site.
Yan Diamonde, who recently joined Real Madrid, shone for Ivory Coast during their historic round of 32 finish in the FIFA World Cup, contributing one assist and creating 11 chances. Last season, he played for RB Leipzig, scoring 16 goals and assisting 10 times in 50 appearances.
Johan Manzambi was pivotal in Switzerland's journey to the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, scoring three goals and assisting two. The 20-year-old midfielder, who previously played for Freiburg, signed with Aston Villa in July. In the last season, he made 61 appearances, scoring 12 goals and providing eight assists, while also receiving six yellow cards and two red cards.
Kerim Alajbegovic made headlines with Bosnia and Herzegovina's round of 32 finish in the World Cup, scoring against Qatar. The former RB Salzburg player has joined Juventus in Serie A this August, where he scored 14 goals and provided six assists last season, along with facing six yellow cards.
Ayyoub Bouaddi, who recently signed with Manchester City, previously played for Lille and contributed one goal and two assists in the 2025-26 season. The defensive midfielder also accumulated 10 yellow cards and two red cards, and was part of Morocco's quarter-final run in the FIFA World Cup.
Pau Cubarsi, a 19-year-old FIFA World Cup-winning star from Spain, also received a nomination, scoring one goal and assisting two while facing five yellow cards and one red card in the 2025-26 season. He was integral to Spain's World Cup victory and FC Barcelona's triumphs in La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup.
Germany's 18-year-old forward from Bayern Munich, who scored 12 goals and provided eight assists in 44 matches, and France's 20-year-old midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery, who contributed three goals and six assists in 62 matches, are also among the nominees after successful seasons with their clubs.
While Lennart celebrated victories in the Bundesliga, German Cup, and German Super Cup, Warren was part of PSG's squads that clinched consecutive UEFA Champions League titles, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Ligue 1, and the Trophee des Champions.
France's Eli Junior Kroupi, who scored 16 goals and received six yellow cards in 40 matches last season, is also nominated. He plays for Premier League club Bournemouth, which achieved a sixth-place finish in the league, securing a UEFA Europa League spot and marking their first foray into European football.
Lastly, Bayer Leverkusen's Ibrahim Maza is nominated as well, having scored seven goals and provided seven assists in 61 matches, along with three yellow cards.