The top ten candidates for the Kopa Trophy, which honors the finest player under 21 years old, have been revealed by France Football.
The Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe won the first edition of the prize in 2018, followed by Matthijs de Ligt and Pedri.
A new competitor will enter the field this October when they win the prestigious award.
This year, the Bundesliga is well represented, with six of the ten nominees working in the German top division.
They consist of Jude Bellingham and Karim Adeyemi of Borussia Dortmund, as well as Jamal Musiala and Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich.
Additionally supporting their candidates are RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen through Josko Gvardiol and Florian Wirtz, respectively.
Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga and Barcelona’s rising midfield star Gavi have both made the list. Nuno Mendes, a fullback for Paris Saint-Germain, and Bukayo Saka, an attacker for Arsenal, round out the list.
Last year, Bellingham and Musiala, who came in the top three ranks, came in second and third place, respectively, to champion Pedri of Barcelona.
Despite being represented once more, the Catalans’ chances of winning seem remote. This is because they were eliminated from the Champions League group stage and had terrible La Liga performance last year. They came in second place, 13 points behind Real Madrid, the winner.
After Real Madrid won the league, the European Cup, the Supercopa de Espaa, and the Kopa Trophy in 2022, Camavinga is the favorite.
In any case, the nominations have prompted a contentious discussion among fans who are supporting their pick.
While some think Camavinga deserves the award, a few are betting on Gavi to win following his breakthrough season with Barcelona last year.
The following are some of the most insightful tweets in response to France Football’s final Kopa Trophy nominees:
A La Liga player is most likely to win the Kopa Trophy.
With 60% of the nominations, the Bundesliga is the overwhelming power, yet the Kopa Trophy may still go to someone else.
Given his trophy-laden year with Real Madrid, Camavinga might be the front-runner. He participated in 42 senior matches for Real Madrid across all leagues, scoring two goals and dishing out two assists.
Gavi also has a compelling argument in support of his arresting performances.
Last year, the 18-year-old made his debut for Barcelona’s senior team and made a name for himself with his outstanding abilities. In 45 games across all competitions, he scored twice and provided six assists.
If he doesn’t win, his El Clasico adversary might, depending on how the club’s season ended without a trophy last year.
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