Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho have both been named as candidates for the Kopa Trophy at this year’s Ballon d’Or event. This accolade, introduced in 2018, is awarded to the best young player under 21 globally. The winner will be revealed on October 28, the same night as the Ballon d’Or awards.

Previous Kopa Trophy winners include high-profile names like Kylian Mbappe, Matthijs de Ligt, Pedri, Gavi, and Jude Bellingham.

Despite Manchester United’s challenging Premier League season, which saw them finish in eighth place, both Garnacho, 20, and Mainoo, 19, delivered impressive performances. Mainoo established himself as a crucial midfield presence in the latter half of the season, scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final, and became a vital member of Gareth Southgate’s England squad at the Euros.

Garnacho, for his part, tallied 10 goals and five assists across all competitions during the 2023/24 season. He also started one of Argentina’s Copa America matches, contributing to their title defense.

The leading contender for the Kopa Trophy is anticipated to be Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and Spain. At just 17, Yamal made significant contributions with 16 goal involvements for Barcelona and was instrumental in Spain’s triumphant Euros campaign, earning the Young Player of the Tournament award.

Other nominees for the Kopa Trophy include Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi, Real Madrid’s Arda Guler, RB Salzburg’s Karim Konate, Paris Saint-Germain’s Joao Neves and Warren Zaire-Emery, Manchester City’s Savinho, and Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel.