Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. France Football has announced the list of ten nominees for the Best Young Talent Award for men for the 2025-2026 season, previously known as the Kopa Award. This competition features a selection of the most prominent rising talents in global football, led by Spanish player Lamine Jamal, the titleholder for the past two editions.
The list notably includes Arab representation with Moroccan Ayoub Bouaddi and Algerian Ibrahim Maza, alongside names that have made a strong impact during the season, including Spanish Pau Cubarsi, who won the World Cup with his country and received the FIFA Best Young Player Award at the 2026 World Cup, and Ivorian Yan Diomandi, whose impressive performance with Leipzig led to his transfer to Real Madrid.
The award is given to the best player under the age of 21 on July 31, 2026. France Football based its evaluation of the nominees on the period from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, covering club and national team competitions, including the 2026 World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.
Who is Pursuing Jamal?
The list includes Spaniards Lamine Jamal and Pau Cubarsi from Barcelona, Ivorian Yan Diomandi from Leipzig who transferred to Real Madrid, Moroccan Ayoub Bouaddi who moved from Lille to Manchester City, and Algerian Ibrahim Maza from Bayer Leverkusen.
Also included are German Linhart Karl from Bayern Munich, Bosnian Karim Ali Begovic who transferred from Salzburg to Juventus, French Ely Junior Kroby from Bournemouth, Swiss Johan Manzambi who moved from Freiburg to Aston Villa, and French Warren Zaïre Emery from Paris Saint-Germain.
The competition appears tougher than in the previous two editions; Jamal is not only facing emerging talents but also players who have exited the season with global titles and individual awards, while the brilliance of others has led them to the biggest clubs in Europe.
Jamal Aiming for a Historic Third Title
Jamal remains the standout name in the race; he is seeking to win the award for the third consecutive time, a feat no player has achieved since the Kopa Award was established in 2018.
The Barcelona winger first won the award in 2024 and retained it in 2025 after accumulating 124 points, significantly ahead of French player Désiré Doué, who finished second with 72 points, making Jamal the first player to win it twice.
The list of previous winners highlights the award’s significance as an early milestone in the careers of top stars; it has previously been awarded to Kylian Mbappé in 2018, followed by Matthijs de Ligt, Pedri, Gavi, and Jude Bellingham, before Jamal asserted his dominance in the last two editions. However, his path to a third title appears more challenging this time.
Pau Cubarsi: The Main Competitor
Pau Cubarsi enters the race with one of the heaviest profiles among the nominees. The 19-year-old defender won the 2026 World Cup with Spain and was a key player in all eight matches for his national team, before receiving the FIFA Best Young Player Award at the tournament.
Cubarsi was a cornerstone of the Spanish defense, conceding only one goal throughout the World Cup, before the team clinched the title against Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final. He became the first defender to win the Best Young Player Award at the World Cup since its current format was established.
Thus, Barcelona finds two of its top talents face to face for the same award: Jamal, who has held it for two years, and Cubarsi, returning from the World Cup with the championship title and its most prestigious individual awards for youth.
Diomandi: One Season Led Him to Real Madrid
Ivorian Yan Diomandi stands out as another competitor capable of challenging Jamal, having needed only one season with Leipzig to establish himself among the top attacking talents in Europe.
The young winger scored 13 goals and provided 10 assists in 36 matches across all competitions during the 2025-2026 season, earning the Best Emerging Player Award in the Bundesliga, before transferring to Real Madrid last August on a contract extending until 2033.
His rise was so remarkable that FIFA listed him among the top contenders for the Best Young Player Award before the World Cup, finishing his season with 23 goal contributions, alongside his emergence with the Ivory Coast national team.
Bouaddi and Maza: Dual Arab Representation
The list holds special significance for the Arab audience with Moroccan Ayoub Bouaddi and Algerian Ibrahim Maza among the top ten young talents in the world.
Bouaddi appears among the nominees for the second consecutive season, having previously entered the Kopa Award list in 2025. The midfielder had a season with Lille in 2025-2026 before moving to Manchester City, and he chose to represent Morocco internationally, participating with the Atlas Lions in the 2026 World Cup.
As for Ibrahim Maza, his impressive performance with Bayer Leverkusen and notable appearances with Algeria in the World Cup earned him a spot on the France Football list. The attacking midfielder, aged 20, particularly shone against Jordan, earning the Man of the Match award, and led all players in the group stage with 12 successful dribbles, finishing the tournament with 14 successful dribbles.
The presence of Bouaddi and Maza gives Morocco and Algeria dual Arab representation in one of the most prestigious awards dedicated to emerging talents.
Talents That Quickly Made Their Mark
The race is not limited to the four standout names; German Linhart Karl has made a name for himself with Bayern Munich, scoring 9 goals and providing 8 assists in 40 matches during the 2025-2026 season, despite a muscle injury preventing him from participating in the World Cup.
Bosnian Karim Ali Begovic enters the competition after a season in which he scored 13 goals and assisted 4 in 44 matches with Salzburg, before transferring to Juventus last August. The 18-year-old also participated with the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team in the 2026 World Cup, scoring a goal during the tournament.
The list is completed by French players Ely Junior Kroby and Warren Zaïre Emery, alongside Swiss Johan Manzambi, who moved from Freiburg to Aston Villa after an impressive season.
How is the Winner Selected?
The voting mechanism for this award differs from that of the Ballon d’Or; the winner of the Best Young Player Award in the men’s category is chosen by a jury composed exclusively of former Ballon d’Or winners.
Each voter selects three players from the list; the first receives 5 points, the second 3 points, and the third 1 point. If two players tie in total points, the first tiebreaker is the number of times each was selected in first place, followed by the number of times selected in second place.
France Football prioritizes individual performance and the ability to make a difference, followed by collective performance and titles achieved, then sportsmanship and fair play.
The winner will be announced during the Ballon d’Or ceremony in 2026, scheduled to take place in London on October 26.
