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Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal and Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo are among 10 players shortlisted for the 2024 Kopa Trophy. The award is part of the Ballon d'Or ceremony that rewards the best youngster of the previous season.
Yamal is joined by his Barcelona teammate, centre-back Pau Cubarsi. Meanwhile, Mainoo is accompanied by another Manchester United youngster, Argentine international Alejandro Garnacho.
Real Madrid are represented by Arda Guler while Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich also features in the list. New Manchester City signing Savinho is also selected for his performances with Girona, where he was on loan from French side Troyes last season.
The shortlist for the 2024 Kopa Trophy was announced earlier today (Wednesday, September 4). Here is the complete list of the players shortlisted for the award, which is given to the best player from last season under the age of 21:
- Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)
- Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)
- Arda Guler (Real Madrid)
- Karim Konate (Red Bull Salzburg)
- Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
- Joao Neves (Benfica)
- Savinho (Manchester City)
- Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich)
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
- Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
The Kopa Trophy, which is presented by France Football, is named after late French footballer Raymond Kopa, who won the Ballon d'Or in 1958. The forward was part of the Real Madrid side that won three consecutive European Cups between 1957 and 1959.
The former France international also finished second in the Ballon d'Or race in 1959 while he placed third in 1956 and 1957.
How Lamine Yamal and Kobbie Mainoo earned their name in the 2024 Kopa Trophy shortlist
Lamine Yamal had a breakthrough season last term at just 16 years of age. He broke through the Barcelona senior team and established himself as a mainstay in the team. He made 50 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring seven goals and assisting a further nine.
Within a month of making his senior team debut with the Catalan club, Yamal earned his debut for Spain at just 16 years and 50 days. He was an ever-present in Spain's Euro-winning squad, scoring a crucial goal in the semi-final and providing four assists, including one in the final. Yamal won the Young Player of the Tournament award at Euro 2024.
Meanwhile, Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo made his debut for the Red Devils in the 2022-23 season. However, it wasn't till last season that he became a key cog in Erik ten Hag's side. The 19-year-old made 33 appearances for his club and played a crucial role in their FA Cup-winning run.
His exploits with Manchester United earned him a call-up to the English senior team in March 2024. He was named in the England squad for the 2024 Euros and featured six times as they reached the final, eventually losing to Spain.
The winner of the 2024 Kopa award will be announced in a ceremony in France on October 8.
