The best teenagers in the world are always looking to push the boundaries of possibility. Adapting to the rigours of professional football was often a long and arduous task for most teenage prospects, but now even 16-year-olds are thriving under the immense pressure of elite football. Every year, this is celebrated in the form of the Kopa Trophy.

It is awarded to the best footballer of the year under the age of 21. Named after former France and Real Madrid midfielder Raymond Kopa, the winner of the prestigious award is selected by former Ballon d’Or recipients and given at the annual France Football ceremony along with the Ballon d’Or.

We have outlined everything you need to know about the award ahead of the ceremony in October. From its brief history, the process of determining the winner, and its distinction from the Golden Ball. The Kopa Trophy signifies success for any youngster around the world — and naturally leads to the best clubs in the world looking to secure their signature.

History of the Kopa Trophy

France Football has long held a monopoly over individual awards at the top of the professional game. The Ballon d'Or is widely considered the most prestigious individual trophy, but the magazine has branched out with a range of different awards.

Rival Italian magazine Tuttosport have tended to hold power when celebrating the success of younger footballers. They have been awarding the Golden Boy since 2003, which is the biggest aspiration for any up-and-coming talent looking to break onto the main stage. However, to challenge this, France Football added a new honour to their ceremony alongside the Ballon d'Or. They created the Kopa Trophy in 2018, despite France Football being a member of the voting panel for the Golden Boy.

The trophy is named after former France, Angers, Reims and Real Madrid player Raymond Kopa. The midfielder, who also operated as a forward, is considered one of the greatest players of all time, and was a shining light for France in the 1950s and 1960s.

The 1958 Ballon d'Or winner, the same year he helped France finish third at the World Cup. The first French player to win the European Cup, he made further history in 1970 when he received the Legion of Honour — France's most prestigioush national honour.

In its brief history, the award has been given to some of the best players in the world today. With celebrations postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the trophy has only been awarded seven times.

Process to Determine Winner

The voting system surrounding the Ballon d'Or is always full of controversy. Some believe it's biased, with members of the media voting to decide who is crowned as one of the most talented players in the world. It often goes to forwards, whose contributions are easier to measure, but the unsung heroes of the most successful teams, including many of the best defenders around the globe, are being recognised more and more.

However, with the Kopa Trophy, it is less controversial. The voting panel is made up of former Ballon d'Or winners, so anyone who has claimed the award can vote to decide the best U21 player in the world. As part of this, they choose three players. Their number one pick receives five points, second place earns three points, and third place secures just one point. These points are then accrued, with the footballer who secures the most overall points being named the Kopa Trophy winner.

Difference to the Golden Boy

There's one major difference between the Kopa Trophy compared to the Golden Ball. Most notably, the Kopa Trophy is open to top players outside the UEFA leagues. In contrast, the Golden Boy, which is European-based only.

It continues to promote the sport's fairness, instead of continuing the tradition of European clubs having unfair priviliges over the rest of the world. Still, every winner of the Kopa Trophy so far has been from Europe, but the quality from continents such as South America will surely end the European domination of the award sooner rather later.

Winners of the Kopa Trophy

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Since 2018, five players have tasted Kopa Trophy glory. Kylian Mbappé, one of the greatest French players of all time, won the inaugural trophy comfortably in 2018 during his Paris Saint-Germain era. He finished with 110 points, whilst Christian Pulisic in second picked up just 31. Talk about dominance.

A year later, defender Matthijs de Ligt secured the award after guiding Ajax to the Champions League semi-finals as captain. He moved to Juventus after that success, pipping Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho to the trophy by just nine points. Joao Felix finished third just a further eight points behind.

In 2021, Pedri won it with more than double the points of second place Jude Bellingham. The award remained with Spain and Barcelona as Gavi narrowly took victory in 2022 with 59 points, eight ahead of Eduardo Camavinga, with Jamal Musiala a further four back.

Jude Bellingham, then at Borussia Dortmund, clinched the award over Musiala in 2023. The Birmingham City prodigy finished on 90 points — more than double the amount his then Bundesliga rival scored.

But 2024 and 2025 have been the years of Lamine Yamal. In 2024, Yamal scored 113 points, beating the previous highest score set by Mbappé in 2018. By comparison, Arda Güler finished second on 26 points. In 2025, Yamal beat his own record, this time scoring 124 points. The PSG pair of Desire Doue and João Neves were his nearest challengers, but they were still a long way off.