Nominations for Kopa Trophy 2023 for the best U21 player

Just like the Ballon d’Or, the Kopa Trophy, which can also be called the Golden Ball for players under 21, has already been nominated. Let’s take a look at all ten nominees. There is no goalkeeper on the shortlist.

António Silva

The Portuguese 19-year-old central defender is the only representative of his position in the nomination. Last season he was already a full member of Benfica’s starting line-up. Apart from his great dfensive work, he can also add some goals.

In the Champions League, he managed to assert himself against Juventus and Inter Milan in the Portuguese league then added 3 goals. At the moment, also because of him, the veteran Pepe is no longer on the nomination list for the qualifying matches of the Portuguese national team.

Elye Wahi

The 20-year-old French striker had a great season in the Montpellier jersey. He managed to score an impressive 19 goals and add 6 assists in Ligue 1. A great achievement. In the summer, English clubs West Ham and Chelsea were interested in him, but Elye chose a club in France and joined the Champions League participant RC Lens. If he manages to attract interest, it is not impossible that he will move again in the summer and this time it would be outside France.

Xavi Simons

The Dutch talent has already been through clubs like Barcelona and PSG, and is currently wearing the Leipzig jersey, where he is on loan from PSG. Last season was apparently the breakthrough one, scoring 20 goals and assisting 10 more in the colours of Dutch side PSV Eidhoven. He has already managed to score his opening 2 goals in the colours of the German giant.

Rasmus Hojlund

The Danish cannonballer’s name hasn’t been sleeping on the internet since his move to Manchester United, especially when compared to Haaland. He started last season at Sturm Graz and finished it already at Atalanta in Italy for whom he managed 10 goals, mainly in a substitute role. Above all, Red Devils fans believe that he will be the piece to the puzzle that Haga needs.

Pedri, Gavi, Alejandro Balde

After the initial feeler names, let’s tighten up a bit. There are 3 players wearing the Barcelona jersey that fit into the nomination. Balde replaced legend Jordi Alba on the left edge of defence last season, taking over his role.

Pedri had a tougher season, hampered by injuries that often left him unavailable to Xavi, but when he did come on he, along with Gavi, got on the opponents nerves a lot. The darlings of Barcelona fans can get under the skin of opponents. Neither of them are completely away from scoring goals, both of them excel in creating chances and Gavi in collecting yellow cards. All three had a big hand in the LaLiga win.

Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham

From Barcelona, we move to the camp of our biggest rival. Cammavinga and Bellingham must not be missing from the nomination. The French all-rounder was more of a substitute joker at the start of last season, but after being used as a left-back at the World Cup, he has been in the starting line-up in the white jersey. He replaced the injured Mendy in an alternative position and didn’t do badly at all. Positionally, he may have fallen short at times, but no wonder. Since the beginning of the current season, he has been a part of the starting line-up in the centre of midfield.

Jude Bellingham only joined Real in the summer, but his last season was excellent. At a young age in the absence of Marco Reus, he led Dortmund as captain, fighting to the last moment for the German Bundesliga title, but in the end it didn’t work out. In the yellow and black jersey he scored 14 goals and 7 assists, he has already shown that he can score goals in LaLiga, when he managed to score in four games in a row.

Jamal Musiala

The darling of Bayern, clearly their Golden Boy. He was the one who decided the last round at Cologne and uncorked another championship celebration. When he didn’t play from the start, Bayern’s whole game suffered, it was a huge difference when he did and when he didn’t. He is only 20 years old, yet he is already a building block of the German national team, he could have played alongside Bellingham for England, he chose Germany in the end. He has one more thing in common with the Englishman, together they are the main candidates to win the Kopa award.

Source: SkySports