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Lionel Messi voted for Ibrahim Maza in the Kopa trophy

Lionel Messi slipped Ibrahim Maza into his ranking for the best young player of the season trophy. The Algerian midfielder…

By Manu Tournoux · French Football Weekly

Published: Monday, 2 November 2026 at 10:29 PM

Key Things to Know

Lionel Messi placed Ibrahim Maza third on his ballot for the Kopa Trophy.
Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Maza finished ninth overall after earning one point from Messi's vote.
Maza became the first Algerian player to be named among the top ten Kopa Trophy finalists.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Lionel Messi selected Algerian midfielder Ibrahim Maza in his top three for the Kopa Trophy, which honors the season's best young player under 21. The Argentina captain ranked Maza third behind Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí. Maza, who plays for Bayer Leverkusen, finished ninth overall with one point earned directly from the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's ballot.

At age 20, Maza became the first Algerian player to finish among the award's top ten finalists after recording five goals and seven assists in 44 appearances in Germany. The recognition followed their match at the 2026 World Cup, where Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 despite an impressive performance from Maza.

Read the full article on French Football Weekly

Lionel Messi voted for Ibrahim Maza in the Kopa trophy

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