Lamine Yamal is back on the Kopa Trophy shortlist after winning the men’s award in 2025, and he is one of 12 nominees in the 2026 men’s category. The Barcelona teenager’s repeat inclusion gives him another chance to add to a distinction he already made history with last year, when he became the first player to win the men’s Kopa Trophy twice.
The Kopa Trophy is presented at the Ballon d’Or ceremony and is given to the best young player in the game. This year’s men’s field also includes Pau Cubarsi and Warren Zaire-Emery, two other prominent young talents who continue to draw attention on the sport’s biggest individual stage.
On the women’s side, five players are in the running for the 2026 award. Among the nominees are Veerle Buurman of Chelsea, Vicky Lopez and Clara Serrajordi of Barcelona, Felicia Schroder of Hacken and Lily Yohannes of OL Lyonnes.
Why the Kopa Trophy matters
The award carries extra weight because of its name. Raymond Kopa, for whom the trophy is named, was a major figure in French and European soccer. He moved from Angers to Stade de Reims in 1951, later joined Real Madrid in 1956 and won European Cups with the Spanish club in 1957 and 1959. In between, he won the Ballon d’Or in 1958, the same year France finished third at the World Cup in Sweden. Kopa died in 2017 at the age of 85.
That history helps explain why the trophy remains a meaningful marker of rising talent. For players such as Yamal, Cubarsi and Zaire-Emery, the nomination itself places them among the most closely watched young players in world soccer. It also gives the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony added intrigue, especially with the winners set to be announced on October 26 at London’s Palladium Theatre.
Yamal’s place on the list is the clearest headline, but the broader takeaway is simple: the next generation is already being recognized on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
