Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho have been shortlisted for the Kopa Trophy at this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony. Established in 2018, the Kopa Trophy honors the top player under 21 worldwide. The winner will be announced on October 28, the same night as the Ballon d’Or awards.

Past recipients of the Kopa Trophy include Kylian Mbappe, Matthijs de Ligt, Pedri, Gavi, and Jude Bellingham.

Despite Manchester United finishing eighth in the Premier League, Garnacho, 20, and Mainoo, 19, had standout seasons. Mainoo became a key player in midfield during the latter part of the season, scoring the decisive goal in the FA Cup final and making significant contributions to Gareth Southgate’s England squad at the Euros.

Garnacho, meanwhile, netted 10 goals and provided five assists across all competitions in the 2023/24 season. He also started one of Argentina’s matches in the Copa America as they successfully defended their title.

The frontrunner for the Kopa Trophy is expected to be Lamine Yamal of Barcelona and Spain. At just 17, Yamal had a remarkable season with 16 goal contributions for Barcelona and was a standout performer in Spain’s victorious Euros campaign, earning Young Player of the Tournament honors.

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