Does the best U21 footballer in the world play in Salzburg?

Karim Konate is one of the candidates for the “Kopa Trophy” for the best young player of the year. The favorite for the Ballon d’Or is Real star Jude Bellingham.

Karim Konate can hope to win the “Kopa Trophy” award for the best U21 young player of the year. The 20-year-old striker from Salzburg is among the ten nominees, as UEFA announced in a press release on Wednesday. The top scorer of the last Bundesliga season is out of action due to a knee injury and has therefore only been able to play in two competitive matches. The winner will be announced on October 28 in Paris.

It will also be made public who will receive the prestigious Ballon d’Or. This year, UEFA organized the big gala together with the French media group Groupe Amaury. The Ballon d’Or has been awarded annually since 1956 by the specialist magazine “France Football”, which belongs to Groupe Amaury. The defending champion is the Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who received the Golden Ball for the eighth time in 2023.

The former Barca star will not be eliminated this time because he is not included in the 30-player pre-selection. Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham can have high hopes, and his club colleagues Antonio Rüdiger, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe are also nominated, as is Toni Kroos, who retired in the summer. From the Spanish European champions, young star Lamine Yamal, who is also nominated for the “Kopa Trophy”, Rodri and Dani Olmo are also in the running. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, Bayern Munich’s top striker Harry Kane and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz are also in the running.

The Ballon d’Or is not a replacement for the World Footballer of the Year award. This award will continue to be organized by the world association (FIFA). From 2010 to 2015, the World Footballer of the Year was awarded the Golden Ball through a cooperation between FIFA and “France Football”.