Official: Barcelona duo Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi nominated for the 2025 Kopa Trophy | OneFootball

The 2025 Ballon d’Or nominations are finally being unveiled today, but in the lead-up to the main event, the organisers also announced the nominees for the Kopa Trophy award.

The Kopa Trophy is an honour awarded to the Best U-21 footballer of the year during the Ballon d’Or ceremony. The winner is selected by a jury of all former Ballon d’Or winners.

And, Barcelona teenagers Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal have been nominated for the 2025 Kopa Trophy prize.

The 18-year-old centre-back was a permanent fixture in the team as they went on to win the domestic treble under Hansi Flick last season.

As a result, it does not come as a surprise to see Cubarsi being nominated for the top honour for an Under-21 footballer.

Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal, won the Kopa Trophy and has once again been nominated for the top honour after his sensational season with Barcelona.

Having turned 18 last month, the youngster is also very much in contention for the Ballon d’Or honour as well, but could become the first player to win the Kopa Trophy honour twice.

However, Cubarsi and Yamal find themselves up against some tough competitors, including PSG’s treble-winning prodigy Desire Doue and Real Madrid summer arrival Dean Huijsen.

Also nominated are Joao Neves (PSG), Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Estevao (Chelsea), Rodrigo Mora (Porto), and Kenan Yildiz (Juventus).