Barcelona midfielder Gavi has been named among the top 10 nominees for France Football’s Kopa Trophy 2022 award.
The full list of Kopa Trophy 2022 nominees was recently disclosed by France Football and the current holder, Pedri, failed to get a place mostly because his 2021/22 football season was marred by unfortunate injuries.
But, 18-year-old Barcelona sensation Gavi has made it to the list that also has the likes of Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid) and Bukayo Saka (Arsenal).
Gavi enjoyed a sensational breakthrough campaign last time out, which saw him grow into a pivotal player for club and country despite being just 17 years of age.
A graduate of the La Masia academy, the midfielder, who turned 18 earlier this month, is widely regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in the game currently and could be a strong candidate to win the honour.
Kopa Trophy was introduced by France Football in 2018 and is given to the best player under the age of 21. Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe was the first-ever recipient, Matthijs de Ligt won it in 2019 and Pedri was given the honour in 2021.
Like the prestigious Ballon d’Or, Kopa Trophy was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, unlike the Golden Boy award which is limited to the players playing in Europe, the eligibility criteria for Kopa Trophy are not restricted to the continent. In fact, youngsters playing outside of Europe are eligible for the nomination.
Meanwhile, the nominations for this year’s award are dominated by Bundesliga, with six of the final 10 players playing in Germany’s top division.
This includes the likes of Jamal Musiala and Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich, Jude Bellingham and Karim Adeyemi of Borussia Dortmund, Josko Gvardiol of RB Leipzig and Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen
Of the current nominees, Bellingham and Musiala finished second and third respectively in 2021 as Pedri went on to clinch the honour.
Of the current lot, Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga remains the favourite to win the Kopa Trophy as he was a vital member of the team that won La Liga and UEFA Champions League last season. Add the Supercopa de Espana triumph and his stocks can go even higher.
Kopa Trophy 2022 nominees: Karim Adeyemi, Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Gavi, Ryan Gravenberch, Nuno Mendes, Jamal Musiala, Josko Gvardiol, Bukayo Saka and Florian Wirtz.