Sport
Football Legends Reveal Their Top Young Stars for 2024 Kopa Trophy
The votes cast by legendary footballers Lionel Messi, Ronaldo Nazario, Luka Modric, and Karim Benzema for the prestigious 2024 Kopa Trophy have finally been disclosed, revealing their thoughts on some of the sport’s rising stars.
Recently, Barcelona’s promising youngster, Lamine Yamal, took home the Kopa Trophy, a highly coveted award given to the best young player worldwide.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony, held in Paris, witnessed Yamal’s victory as he outshone Real Madrid’s emerging star Arda Güler.
This recognition has once again reflected the intense competition and rising talent within European football.
The Kopa Trophy, named after French football legend Raymond Kopa, is awarded by France Football, the same organization that handles the Ballon d’Or.
It aims to spotlight young players under 1, focusing on their impact and potential in the game.
As revealed by Fabrizio Romano, Lionel Messi’s vote reflected his admiration for young Barcelona talents, placing Yamal as his top choice.
His ranking was as follows: Lamine Yamal in first, Pau Cubarsi—another Barcelona talent—in second, and Manchester United’s energetic winger Alejandro Garnacho in third.
Similarly, Luka Modric, a key player for Real Madrid and a legend in midfield, cast his vote with Yamal at the top.
His votes placed Güler, the young Real Madrid sensation, second, with Benfica’s João Neves as his third pick.
Karim Benzema, another footballing giant and former Real Madrid star, also placed Yamal first in his vote, followed by Güler and then Garnacho.
Ronaldo Nazario, a two-time Ballon d’Or winner and Brazilian legend, showed his unique perspective by casting his top vote for Atlético Mineiro’s emerging Brazilian talent, Savinho.
He placed Yamal in second and Güler in third.
Ronaldo’s vote reflects his Brazilian pride and his belief in Savinho’s potential to become the next big name from Brazil, alongside his appreciation for the talent emerging in Europe.
Former English Referee Mike Dean reacts to Arsenal’s penalty in the Premier league match against Everton.
Speaking to the press, the former referee shares his thoughts on the penalty given to Arsenal.
“There’s a bit of contact outside and there’s a little bit of contact inside. I think it’s a soft one. It’s probably not wrong, but it’s a soft one.”
“I don’t know why Lewis-Skelly doesn’t go to attack it… Harrison gets the wrong side of him. I think this is awfully soft, but it’s gone to VAR…
“I can see why it was given in real time. But watching it again, there’s hardly a touch.”
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has explained his decision to leave Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson out of the starting lineup for Sunday’s match against Brentford. Fans were surprised when the team sheets were released and both players were named on the bench.
Maresca made several changes from the side that won 1-0 against Tottenham on Thursday, including leaving out Pedro Neto, Marc Cucurella, and Levi Colwill, likely to manage player fatigue with the upcoming Conference League quarter-final first leg against Legia Warszawa in mind.
“It’s part of the game plan. I believe the players starting today are the right choices for this match,” Maresca said in his post-match comments to the BBC.
Chelsea is aiming for a win to boost their chances of climbing back into the top four spots in the league.
Vinicius Jr. has hit a major career milestone by matching Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário’s goal tally at Real Madrid. The 23-year-old forward netted his 104th goal for the club during their 2-1 loss to Valencia, drawing level with his idol.
Despite the disappointing result, Vinicius expressed pride in the personal achievement. Speaking after the game, he called it a special moment and reflected on the influence Ronaldo had on him when he first arrived at the club.
“It means a lot to me to reach the same number of goals as Ronaldo,” he said. “He was my role model when I joined Madrid as a kid. This was a tough match, but at Real Madrid, we never stop fighting.”
Earlier in January, Vinicius had mentioned that he was just a few goals shy of matching Ronaldo’s record. Now that he’s done it, he’s setting his sights even higher and hopes to keep scoring more for the club.
The defeat to Valencia, however, dealt a blow to Madrid’s title hopes, with the team needing to bounce back quickly in the coming fixtures.
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