Pedri, winner of the 2021 Kopa Trophy
Pedri gonzalez continues to reap individual titles after his fantastic season at the FC Barcelona and the Spanish team. The Canarian midfielder, who traveled to Paris accompanied by his family and his agent, was another of the great protagonists of the gala of the Golden Ball upon being awarded the Kopa Trophy, the award that France Football magazine established in 2018 to recognize the best footballer in the world under 21 years of age.
The trophy was presented to him by Fabio, the Italian defender Cannavaro. He beat Bellimgham, Greenwood, Nuno Mendes and Musala. “I recently turned 19 and it is the best way to celebrate it. I want to thank Barça, the coaches and the captains, who made it easier for me,” he said, with special reference to Leo Messi, present in the room. He dedicated it “to my family, who deserve it” and to the “island of La Palma, in the difficult time it is living”.
The FC Barcelona youth player wins the Kopa trophy for the best young player of 2021 from France Football magazine
Pedri beat Jude Bellingham (B. Dortmund / Germany), Jamal Musiala (Bayern / Germany), Nuno Mendes (PSG / France), Mason Greenwood (Manchester Utd./England), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal / England), Florian Wirtz (B. Leverkusen / Germany), Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax / Netherlands), Jérémy Doku (Stade Rennes / France) and Giovanni Reyna (B. Dortmund / Germany).
The player of the Barça, who was also the only culé nominated for the Ballon d’Or, joins the list of other top-level names such as Kylian Mbappé and Matthijs de Ligt, winners in 2018 and 2019, one year later in each case of achieving the Golden Boy. In such a way, for the first time, a footballer wins the same season the recognized and traditional prize of the newspaper ‘Tuttosport’, awarded a week ago and which he will collect next Monday, December 13 – and the Kopa Trophy.
Unpublished due to injuries from Benfica-Barça on September 29, Pedri gonzalez, who turned 19 last Thursday, started as a great favorite to add another accolade for the collection after his exceptional first season at the highest level. The canary traveled in the morning to Paris as the only Barça candidate for the Ballon d’Or and the main candidate to win the Trophy.
The pearl of Tegueste, whom he made his debut Ronald Koeman with the Barça, was the great revelation of last year, when he played 52 of the 55 official matches and won the Copa del Rey. Later, he was the brain of Spain in the Eurocup, taking the helm of Luis Enrique’s team and was elected Best Talent and included in the ideal eleven of the tournament. As if that were not enough, in August the Olympic silver was hung at the Tokyo Games although now it is paying for the enormous wear and tear.
