Shocking Kopa Trophy Votes: Did Messi and Ronaldo Secretly Choose Lamine Yamal or Désiré Doué?

Lamine Yamal has done it again, snagging the Kopa Trophy in 2025—his second consecutive win—just narrowly outpacing PSG’s dazzling young talent, Désiré Doué. Now, here’s where things get juicy: the insider scoop on how none other than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo cast their votes for this prestigious honor has finally emerged. The Kopa Trophy, handed out at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, spotlights the brightest star under 21 each year, and this time the duel between Yamal and Doué was unmistakably the headline. While Yamal amassed a commanding 124 points to Doué’s 72, the rankings below painted a stark contrast with distant contenders trailing far behind. What really sparks intrigue is the voting process itself—it’s exclusively in the hands of Ballon d’Or winners, meaning legends like Messi and Ronaldo hold the keys to spotlighting football’s future icons. Yet, Ronaldo’s choice to sit this one out—citing doubts about the credibility of individual awards—adds an unexpected twist to the tale. The passion, the controversy, and the emerging stars—this story has it all. LEARN MORE

Lamine Yamal claimed the Kopa Trophy for the second straight year in 2025, edging out PSG’s rising star Désiré Doué despite the Frenchman helping his club lift the UEFA Champions League. Now, the reported votes from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the award have come to light.

Presented during the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the Kopa Trophy is awarded annually by France Football to the best player under 21. First introduced in 2018 for men and expanded to women in 2024, this year’s battle centered on Yamal and Doué as the clear frontrunners.

Just as in 2024, Yamal topped the ballot, collecting 124 points compared to Doué’s 72. The gap between the two young stars and the rest of the field was striking — João Neves and Estevão finished third and fourth with 23 points each, while Kenan Yildiz rounded out the top five with only six.

Who did Messi and Ronaldo vote for?

Unlike the Ballon d’Or or the Lev Yashin Trophy, the Kopa Trophy is decided exclusively by Ballon d’Or winners, who each select three players, awarding five, three, and one point. That gives legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo a direct say in recognizing the game’s brightest young talent.

2025 Kopa Trophy’s scoreboard.

According to L’Équipe, Messi awarded his top vote — and five points — to Yamal, keeping faith in Barcelona’s 18-year-old prodigy. He placed PSG’s Doué second and gave his final point to Pau Cubarsí, another standout product of La Masia.

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Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or a record eight times, cast a similar ballot in 2024. Then, he also put Yamal first, but listed Cubarsí in second and Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho in third.

Ronaldo, however, was among the few Ballon d’Or winners who chose not to participate in the process. L’Équipe reported that the Portuguese star was joined by England legend Kevin Keegan and French icon Michel Platini in abstaining from voting.

The decision aligns with Ronaldo’s recent comments dismissing individual soccer awards, saying they have “lost credibility” and that he “doesn’t believe in these awards anymore.” Still, like Messi, he remains part of the select group eligible to vote in future editions of the Kopa Trophy.