Spain’s FIFA World Cup-winning star Lamine Yamal, Real Madrid’s Yan Diamonde and Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi are among the nominees for the 2026 Kopa Trophy, which recognises the best young player of the season.
The nominees for the award, presented to players aged under 21, are being announced ahead of the Ballon d’Or ceremony, scheduled to take place in the UK on October 26.
Yamal enjoyed another outstanding campaign with Barcelona and Spain, scoring 25 goals and providing 20 assists in 57 appearances. He was part of Spain’s World Cup-winning side and also helped Barcelona win La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup.
Diamonde, who joined Real Madrid this summer, impressed for Ivory Coast during their historic run to the World Cup Round of 32, contributing one assist and creating 11 chances. At club level, he scored 16 goals and provided 10 assists in 50 appearances for RB Leipzig last season.
Manzambi, 20, played a key role in Switzerland’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals, scoring three goals and providing two assists. The midfielder moved from Freiburg to Aston Villa in July after registering 12 goals and eight assists in 61 appearances last season.
Other nominees include Kerim Alajbegovic, who helped Bosnia and Herzegovina reach the World Cup Round of 32 and scored against Qatar. The former RB Salzburg forward joined Juventus in August after scoring 14 goals and providing six assists last season.
Manchester City signing Ayyoub Bouaddi also features on the shortlist. The former Lille midfielder scored once and assisted twice during the 2025-26 campaign and was part of Morocco’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals.
Barcelona and Spain defender Pau Cubarsi, 19, has also been nominated after featuring in Spain’s World Cup-winning campaign and Barcelona’s La Liga and Spanish Super Cup triumphs.
Bayern Munich forward Lennart Karl and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery are among the other nominees. Karl, 18, recorded 12 goals and eight assists in 44 matches and won the Bundesliga, German Cup and German Super Cup with Bayern.
Zaire-Emery, 20, contributed three goals and six assists in 62 appearances and was part of PSG’s trophy-winning squad that lifted the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Intercontinental Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Ligue 1 and Trophée des Champions.
France’s Eli Junior Kroupi, who scored 16 goals in 40 appearances last season for Bournemouth, and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Ibrahim Maza, who registered seven goals and seven assists in 61 matches, complete the list of nominees.
