October 08, (THEWILL) -Mason Greenwood, Bukayo Saka, and Jude Bellingham, all England internationals, are among the ten nominees for the 2021 Kopa Trophy, which is presented to the best Under-21 player in the world.
Saka had a fantastic year with Arsenal, becoming probably the club’s most important player while also playing a key role in England’s march to the Euro 2020 final, where he sadly missed a crucial spot kick.
Bellingham, like Saka, played a key role in England’s summer success and has developed into a key player for Borussia Dortmund over the last 12 months.
Greenwood was not a member of the Three Lions group that reached the final in July, but he has been on fire for Man Utd so far this season. The 20-year-old has three Premier League goals in seven games and will likely add to that total following the international break in October.
While a few players from the Premier League have been nominated, the list is dominated by Bundesliga players. Bellingham, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, and Giovanni Reyna are among the 40 nominees for the award from Germany’s top flight.
However, La Liga may be the frontrunner for the honour. Pedri, a Barcelona midfielder, has exploded onto the spotlight in 2021, earning Euro 2020’s young player of the tournament and becoming the most talked about young midfielder in recent memory.
Nominees for the 2021 Kopa Trophy include
Mason Greenwood (Manchester United/England)
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal/England)
Pedri (Barcelona/Spain)
Jeremy Doku (Rennes/Belgium)
Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax/Netherlands)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich/Germany)
Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen/Germany)
Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund/England)
Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund/USA)
Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain/Portugal)
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
