2022 Kopa Trophy : Three players of Nigerian descent ranked in top 10 including Arsenal and Chelsea products  

Three players of Nigeria descent were ranked in the top ten as the winner of the 2022 Kopa Trophy was revealed at this year's Ballon d'Or gala in Paris on Monday evening. 

Chelsea-reared attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala, Arsenal's Hale End Academy graduate Bukayo Saka, and Borussia Dortmund striker Karim Adeyemi made it to third, eighth and ninth place respectively. 

The Kopa Trophy is awarded to the best youngster in football under the age of twenty-one. 

Barcelona midfielder Gavii took home the prize thanks to an excellent season that saw him score 2 goals and register six assists in 34 appearances in La Liga.

The Andalusian native became the youngest player to represent Spain when he made his senior debut aged  17 years and 62 days. 

Completing the top ten in that order are Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain), Joško Gvardiol (RB Leipzig), Ryan Gravenberch (Bayern Munich) and Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen).

Named after the French footballer Raymond Kopa, the trophy has been won by Kylian Mbappé, Matthijs de Ligt and Pedri in the past.

Saka, previously a target for the Nigeria Football Federation is cap-tied to his country of birth England, while Musiala and Adeyemi are no longer eligible for the Super Eagles after playing competitive games for Germany's senior team. 

Igho Kingsley