Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has backed teammate Pau Cubarsí to win the 2026 Kopa Trophy, declaring that the young defender is the only player he believes deserves the special award.
Yamal expressed his support for Cubarsí after France Football unveiled the nominees for the various 2026 Ballon d’Or awards. In a post on Instagram, the reigning Kopa Trophy winner wrote: “@paucubrasi he’s the only winner!!”
The Kopa Trophy is presented annually to the best-performing player under the age of 21 and forms part of the Ballon d’Or awards. Both Yamal and Cubarsí are among the 10 nominees for the 2026 edition.
Cubarsí has built a strong case following an impressive 2025/26 campaign with Barcelona and Spain. The defender made 62 appearances across all competitions, helping Barcelona win the Spanish league title before playing an important role in Spain’s World Cup triumph. He was subsequently named the tournament’s Young Player of the Tournament.
The nomination is particularly notable because Cubarsí is competing against several highly rated young players, including Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, Yan Diomandé, Lennart Karl, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Ibrahim Maza, Johan Manzambi, Éli Junior Kroupi and Kerim Alajbegović.
Yamal himself has won the Kopa Trophy twice, in 2024 and 2025, becoming the first player to claim the award in consecutive years. His endorsement therefore adds weight to the growing attention around Cubarsí’s candidacy.
Meanwhile, Yamal is also among the leading contenders for the main 2026 Ballon d’Or after another outstanding season. The 19-year-old said he would not campaign for the prize, insisting that the decision belongs to the voters.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled for October 26 in London, where the winners of the main award and other categories, including the Kopa Trophy, will be announced.
