Barcelona youngster, Gavi was handed the 2022 Kopa Trophy award during the Ballon d’Or Gala which was held in Paris on Monday night.
This trophy is named after the first ever Ballon d’Or winner, French footballer Raymond Kopa.
The Barcelona prodigy was voted ahead of other talented players, such as Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga and even Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala for the finest U21 player’s prize.
The Spain international has stolen the limelight since he debuted with Barcelona last season. Recall his fellow teammate Pedri, won the same accolade last season, as the first Spanish player to do so.
The 18-year-old midfielder has gained prominence in both his national and club team, becoming a key player for both Xavi Hernandez and Luis Enrique in the Spanish national team; playing 60 games for Barcelona and another 12 for La Roja, where he has made history.
The Runner ups, in order, were Camavinga (Real Madrid), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig), Ryan Gravenberch (Bayern), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund) and Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen).
According to Marca, The winner of the Kopa Trophy is voted on by previous Ballon d’Or winners such as Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane, Mario Van Basten, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric.
The Kopa Trophy was created in 2018 and it was not awarded to any player in 2020 as the ceremony was cancelled due to Covid-19. Kylian Mbappe won it in its first edition followed by Matthijs de Ligt, and Pedri, who also received the Golden Boy prize last season.
