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1 week ago
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Unlike last year, Zinédine Zidane did not give his choice for the Kopa Trophy, which was obviously won by Lamine Yamal.
A year after voting in favor of Jude Bellingham (with Pedri and Eduardo Camavinga in 2nd and 3rd positions), Zinédine Zidane did not respond to the call of France Football for the Kopa Trophy election. Unlike a Ballon d’Or decided by a jury of 100 international journalists, it is the still living Ballon d’Ors who are asked to nominate the best player under 21 from the past season. “Zizou”, Ballon d’Or 98, decided not to vote or did not have time to communicate his top 3.
Zidane’s vote, for the young crack of Barça and the Seleccion or for one of the nine others named, would not have changed much. The Blaugranas winger, phenomenal at Euro 2024 (even though he celebrated his 17th birthday before the final!), largely won the vote ahead of Arda Güler and Alejandro Garnacho. All the Ballon d’Or winners who responded to the call (including Lionel Messi) placed Lamine Yamal at the top of their ballot with the exception of Ronaldo “R9”, who preferred Brazilian winger Savinho ahead of the Catalan d Moroccan and Equatoguinean origin.
Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo did not respond
Karim Benzema, Ballon d’Or 2022, had the trio in order, while Jean-Pierre Papin, Ballon d’Or 91, voted for Lamine Yamal then the French international Warren Zaire-Emery and Kobie Mainoo. Like Zidane, Michel Platini, triple Ballon d’Or, did not vote either, just like Denis Law, Kevin Keegan, Roberto Baggio, George Weah (who nevertheless attended the ceremony in Paris and gave the Ballon d’Or Gold 2024 to Rodri) and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Kopa Trophy was launched as part of the Ballon d’Or in 2018 and Lamine Yamal succeeds Kylian Mbappé in 2018, Matthijs de Ligt in 2019, Pedri in 2021, Gavi in 2022 and Jude Bellingham last year.
Written by:
Manu Tournoux is a passionate and knowledgeable football enthusiast with a special focus on French football. Born and raised in France, Manu discovered his love for the beautiful game at a young age and developed a deep understanding of the ins and outs of "Le Championnat." His French roots and extensive experience in football journalism have made him an invaluable asset to the French Football Weekly team.
 
 As an author for the website, Manu's expertise includes not only in-depth analysis of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches but also insightful profiles of up-and-coming talents, detailed transfer news, and engaging coverage of the French national team. His captivating writing style and undeniable passion for the game have earned him a loyal following among our readers.
 
 When he's not crafting engaging articles for French Football Weekly, Manu enjoys attending live matches whenever he can, exploring football culture in various French cities, and engaging in spirited debates with fellow fans. Feel free to follow Manu on Twitter and interact with him as he shares his expert opinions, insights, and love for French football.
