France Football has begun announcing the nominees for its 2025 Best in Football awards, starting with the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player under the age of 21.
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal was the latest winner of this award after his stellar year with Barcelona and the Spanish national team in 2024, when he was not yet 17 years old. Jude Bellingham won the award in 2023 after his impressive performances with Real Madrid.
Yamal, 18, also tops the 2025 nominees list after leading Barcelona to a domestic treble. The Spanish international is also expected to be a candidate for the Ballon d’Or.
Also on the shortlist are young defender Pau Cubarsí, new Real Madrid signing Dejan Huijsen, and young Juventus star Kenan Yildiz.
One of the most likely candidates for the award is Paris Saint-Germain star Desiree Doue, who scored two goals in the Champions League final and won the Best Young Player award at the 2025 Club World Cup.
Alongside the Frenchman are João Neves, a brilliant midfielder for PSG and Portugal, Estêvao, the Palmeiras star who recently joined Chelsea, Arsenal’s rising star Miles Lewis-Skelly, Rodrigo Moura of Porto, and Lille’s Algerian-born Ayoub Bouadi.
The shortlist is expected to be narrowed down to just three names next month, with the award being presented to the winner on September 20 at a grand ceremony in Paris.
Nominees for the 2025 FIFA World Youth Player of the Year Award
Pau Cubarsí(Barcelona)
Ayoub Bouadi (Lille)
Désiré Doue (Paris Saint-Germain)
Estévao (Palmeiras/Chelsea)
Dejan Huijsen (Bournemouth/Real Madrid)
Miles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal)
Rodrigo Moura (Porto)
João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Kenan Yildiz (Juventus)
Nominees for the 2025 FIFA World Youth Player of the Year Award Women
Michelle Agyemang (Arsenal and Brighton)
Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid)
Vicky Kapteyn (Chelsea)
Vicky López (Barcelona)
Claudia Martinez Ovando (Club Olimpia)
