Barcelona midfielder Gavi has won the Kopa trophy after his outstanding 2021/22 season. The award recognizes the best U21 player.
The 18-year-old made an outstanding breakthrough at the Camp Nou, making 47 appearances in his debut season with the first team.
Gavi contributed two goals and six assists for FC Barcelona, with him coming to the fore especially after Xavi’s appointment as head coach.
The midfielder made a surprise debut for Spain in October 2021 and has since featured 12 times for La Roja.
Gavi prevailed against the competition of nine nominated players to take home the award. The other contenders were Karim Adeyemi (Red Bull Salzburg/Borussia Dortmund), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax/Bayern Munich), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich) , Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) and Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen).
The 2021 winner was Gavi’s current teammate Pedri. He was not nominated for this year’s award as he was out injured for much of the 2021-22 season.
The Kopa Trophy was first awarded by France Football in 2018, with Kylian Mbappe receiving the first award. The 2019 award went to Matthijs de Ligt, while the 2020 awards were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This article was originally published on 90min.com as Ballon d’Or: Gavi Wins Kopa Trophy 2022.
