Ballon d’Or 2025: Just before the big Ballon d’Or night, France Football has come out with the list of young footballers who are in the race for the Kopa Trophy this year. This award goes to the best male and female players under 21 based on their performance in the last season.
Among the names on the men’s list, Barcelona star Lamine Yamal stands out. He actually won the Kopa Trophy last year, and now he’s back in the running again. If he wins again this year, he’ll become the first ever player to win it twice. That’s not all yamal has also made it to the Ballon d’Or list itself, which is a big deal at such a young age.
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There’s strong competition this time. Paris Saint-Germain has two names in the running. Désiré Doué had a big year and even won the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year award. João Neves is also in the mix, after playing 29 matches and scoring 3 goals under coach Luis Enrique. These two are seen as strong contenders too, especially Doué, who many say could win it.
The Premier League has its share of young stars in the list too. Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly had a breakout season he even became the youngest English player to score on debut, when England beat Albania 2-0 in March. Then there’s Dean Huijsen, who played really well for Bournemouth and caught the eye of Real Madrid. They were so impressed, they paid over $67 million for him and gave him a five-year deal in May.
Many believe it could come down to Yamal and Doué in the end.
On the women’s side, the competition is just as exciting. Two players who played in this year’s Women’s Euro 2025 final between England and Spain are part of the five shortlisted names. From England, there’s Arsenal’s Michelle Agyemang, who helped her team become champions. And from Spain, there’s Barcelona midfielder Vicky López, who made headlines when she debuted for Spain’s senior team at just 17 years and 6 months old during a Nations League match against the Netherlands in March 2024.
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The list also includes Linda Caicedo from Real Madrid. She had a great season both at club level and for Colombia. Wieke Kaptein from the Netherlands and Claudia Martinez Ovando from Paraguay are also in the running for the award.
All these young stars will be waiting for the big night in Paris. The 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony is set to take place at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris on Sunday, September 22, 2025.
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