France Football have released the nominees for their series of awards, culminating of course with the Ballon d’Or, football’s most prestigious individual award. Spanish football is set to have a heavy presence at the awards night.
Already five nominees from Real Madrid and Barcelona have been notified that they are in the running for the Kopa trophy, awarded to the best young player of the year, a prize that has been given to a starlet from one of those teams for the past four years. La Liga is also in with a shout for Yachine award, given to the best goalkeeper.
Jan Oblak and Thibaut Courtois in the running
Atletico Madrid legend Jan Oblak and Real Madrid icon Thibaut Courtois have both been nominated for the award, a familiar situation for both at this point. Courtois is the only La Liga goalkeeper ever to have won the award back in 2022, after an outstanding campaign in which he guided them to the Champions League.
🚨 Full list of nominees: pic.twitter.com/EfDi38sPkA
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) August 7, 2025
Big nights could cost La Liga duo
Emiliano Martinez has won the award for two years running, but after winning the award in 2021, Gianluigi Donnarumma may be the favourite again following Paris Saint-Germain’s triumph in the Champions League. For Oblak, performed well, but ultimately did not manage to help Atletico over the line against Barcelona in La Liga or the Copa del Rey, nor against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Courtois on the other hand saw Arsenal put five past him in the following round, and Los Blancos conceded 16 times in El Clasico this year, albeit Andriy Lunin was in goal for some of those games.
Cata Coll nominated for women’s award
Meanwhile Barcelona are represented for the Yashine award, with goalkeeper Cata Coll in the running. She was in goal for their run to the Champions League final, and came up with some mammoth saves in Spain’s agonising path to the silver medal at Euro 2025. However with Ann-Katrin Berger and Hannah Hampton also having headline performances, she will be an outsider alongside Chiamaka Nnadozie and Daphne van Domselaar.
The contenders for the #ballondor Yashin Trophy 🧤
Who is your favourite between the sticks? 💫#UWCL || #WEURO2025 pic.twitter.com/QvtgsO5jZU
— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL) August 7, 2025
