Lamine Yamal claimed the Kopa Trophy for the second straight yr in 2025, edging out PSG’s rising star Désiré Doué regardless of the Frenchman serving to his membership carry the UEFA Champions League. Now, the reported votes from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the award have come to gentle.
Introduced through the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the Kopa Trophy is awarded yearly by France Soccer to the most effective participant beneath 21. First launched in 2018 for males and expanded to girls in 2024, this yr’s battle centered on Yamal and Doué because the clear frontrunners.
Simply as in 2024, Yamal topped the poll, amassing 124 factors in comparison with Doué’s 72. The hole between the 2 younger stars and the remainder of the sphere was placing — João Neves and Estevão completed third and fourth with 23 factors every, whereas Kenan Yildiz rounded out the highest 5 with solely six.
Who did Messi and Ronaldo vote for?
Not like the Ballon d’Or or the Lev Yashin Trophy, the Kopa Trophy is determined completely by Ballon d’Or winners, who every choose three gamers, awarding 5, three, and one level. That provides legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo a direct say in recognizing the sport’s brightest younger expertise.
2025 Kopa Trophy’s scoreboard.
In accordance with L’Équipe, Messi awarded his prime vote — and 5 factors — to Yamal, preserving religion in Barcelona’s 18-year-old prodigy. He positioned PSG’s Doué second and gave his ultimate level to Pau Cubarsí, one other standout product of La Masia.
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Messi, who has gained the Ballon d’Or a report eight instances, forged an analogous poll in 2024. Then, he additionally put Yamal first, however listed Cubarsí in second and Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho in third.
Ronaldo, nevertheless, was among the many few Ballon d’Or winners who selected to not take part within the course of. L’Équipe reported that the Portuguese star was joined by England legend Kevin Keegan and French icon Michel Platini in abstaining from voting.
The choice aligns with Ronaldo’s latest feedback dismissing particular person soccer awards, saying they’ve “misplaced credibility” and that he “doesn’t consider in these awards anymore.” Nonetheless, like Messi, he stays a part of the choose group eligible to vote in future editions of the Kopa Trophy.
