Rasmus Hojlund made his Manchester United debut this past Sunday, and although he didn’t score, he played quite well. He came on for Anthony Martial, to play the last third of the game, plus extra time, and in doing so, showed some promise. Yesterday brought news that Hojlund was named to the 2023 Kopa Trophy nominees list, an award that is the U21 version of the Ballon d’Or.
It honors the best individual young footballer for club and country, and the recognition for Rasmus Hojlund is obviously a nod to his exploits with Atalanta and Denmark.
There is definitely an Espana flavor to this list, as half the nominees are from teams that comprise the El Clasico rivalry. Not to mention the international flavor the short list is 30% Spanish. That includes Barcelona’s Gavi, the current holder of the award, and thus the favorite to win it here.
This trophy, the Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper) and Ballon d’Or itself (best overall player) will all be handed during the Ballon d’Or 2023 ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 30.
KOPA TROPHY 2023 NOMINEES
- Jude Bellingham (20), Real Madrid, England
- Rasmus Hojlund (20), Manchester United, Denmark
- Alejandro Balde (19), Barcelona, Spain
- Gavi (19), Barcelona, Spain
- Jamal Musiala (20), Bayern Munich, Germany
- Eduardo Camavinga (20), Real Madrid, France
- Pedri (20), Barcelona, Spain
- Xavi Simons (20), RB Leipzig, Netherlands
- Antonio Silva (19), Benfica, Portugal
- Elye Wahi (20), RC Lens, France
Currently on international break, United are 11th in the Premier League table, having gotten off to a very unimpressive start.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
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