2023 Kopa Trophy nominees - ranked
It's award season once again in the world of football.
The Ballon d'Or nominees have been announced, and so have the Kopa Trophy nominees too.
For the fifth time, a player is set to be awarded the 'best under-21 player in the world' tag previously bestowed on the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Pedri and Matthijs de Ligt.
Here's the ten young stars who've been nominated this year, and how ranks them based on their likelihood of winning the 2023 Kopa Trophy.
Only 19 years old and already a regular for Benfica, Antonio Silva has enjoyed a metioric rise since 2022.
The centre-back has the frame of a player 10 years his senior, and looks set to be a star for Portugal for years to come.
As for being a star for Benfica...expect one of the European heavyweights to spend a bucketload to sign him in the very near future.
Linked with basically every single club in the entire world during the summer, it was Lens who eventually won the race for Elye Wahi's signature — forking out a club record £30m for the striker.
Judging by his remarkable performances for Montpellier in 2022/23 — a season in which he scored 19 Ligue 1 goals — that could prove to be a bargain. The sky's the limit.
Are there seven footballers who are better than Pedri on this list?
Absolutely not.
Are there nine players who you'd back to stay fit for longer than Pedri on this list?
Absolutely.
Following a stunning Kopa Trophy-winning breakout campaign in 2020/21, Pedri has struggled to stay healthy for long stretches of games.
Still though, when he is fit he is bloody brilliant (he is currently not fit).
Rasmus Hojlund earned himself a £64m move toManchester United in the summer thanks to his performances for Atalanta and Denmark last season.
The striker has
