Ballon d'Or 2026: The Rising Stars Battling for the Prestigious Kopa Trophy Revealed

The complete list of candidates for the 2026 Kopa Trophy has been revealed, with Barcelona's Lamine Yamal looking to claim the accolade for an unprecedented third straight year.

Presented to the finest under-21 player in the world, the Kopa Trophy has been awarded every year since 2018, except for a hiatus in 2020 when the event was called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Kylian Mbappé, Matthijs de Ligt, Pedri, Gavi, Jude Bellingham and two-time recipient Yamal have all lifted the prestigious honor.

It comes as little surprise that Yamal is pursuing a third straight title. Tallying 24 goals and 18 assists across 45 appearances for Barcelona in the 2025–26 campaign helped propel Hansi Flick's squad to La Liga success and will almost certainly place him near the summit of the Ballon d'Or rankings at the concluding ceremony on Oct. 26.

Yamal is joined on the nominee list by his club and international teammate, center back Pau Cubarsí, who hopes to better his seventh-place finish from last season and will be confident of doing so following La Liga glory with Barcelona and World Cup success with Spain.

New Real Madrid acquisition Yan Diomande secures a nomination after a remarkable season that ended with a $161.6 million (€140 million) move to the Bernabéu, while Manchester City's $111 million recruit Ayyoub Bouaddi also features on the list.

Paris Saint-Germain's Warren Zaïre-Emery is a familiar name on these shortlists, having tied for eighth place in 2024, though there are several fresh faces competing for the prize for the first time in their blossoming careers.

Lennart Karl of Bayern Munich and Ibrahim Maza of Bayer Leverkusen represent the Bundesliga, while Bournemouth's Junior Kroupi and Aston Villa's Johan Manzambi carry the Premier League banner. Juventus' Kerim Alajbegović completes the shortlist.

For the very first time, 2025 saw the launch of the Women's Kopa Trophy, with Barcelona and Spain standout Vicky López claiming the inaugural honor.

López, much like Yamal, is once again in contention this year, competing against teammate Clara Serrajordi, Chelsea's Veerle Buurman, Real Madrid's Felicia Schröder and OL Lyonnes' Lily Yohannes.

2026 Kopa Trophy Nominees in Full

2026 Women's Kopa Trophy Nominees in Full