Kopa Trophy: Best Young Footballer Award

Author : sportz akz | Published On : 12 Nov 2026

To recognise the brightest young talents in world football, France Football created the Kopa Trophy. Since 2018 it has been awarded each year to the best player under the age of 21.

The trophy is named after the legendary French footballer Raymond Kopa. Its very first winner was Kylian Mbappe, who went on to become one of the finest players in the modern game.

Since then a series of exciting young players have won the award and announced themselves as future stars. In recent years prodigies such as Lamine Yamal have shone brightly on the big stage.

The Kopa Trophy is usually announced at the same ceremony as the Ballon d'Or. For a young player, it is a major platform to gain international recognition early in their career.

To see who has won in each year, check the complete Kopa Trophy winners list and its full history.