Vicky López has been named the best female under-21 player of 2025, after receiving the first ever ‘Women’s Kopa Trophy’, at the 2025 Ballon D’or ceremony.
The 19-year-old was part of the Barcelona Femeni side that won a domestic treble, as well as reaching the final of the UEFA Champions League, where they lost 1 – 0 to Arsenal. She was also part of the Spain side that reached the final of the European Championship, losing to England on penalties. In her acceptance speech, she paid tribute to her late mother, who passed away in 2018 from a brain tumour.
López has had an astonishing start to her Barcelona career, registering 31 goal contributions in 62 matches, with just 39 starts. The other players nominated for the award were: Michelle Agyemang (England & Brighton & Hove Albion, on loan from Arsenal), Linda Caicedo (Colombia & Real Madrid), Wieke Kaptein (Netherlands & Chelsea), and Claudia Martínez Ovando (Paraguay & Olimpia).
The ‘Kopa Trophy’, named after the late French footballer Raymond Kopa (1958 Ballon d’Or winner), is awarded by France Football to the best under-21 player, and is voted on by a jury of former Ballon d’Or winners, since its inception in 2018. This is the first year that a ‘Women’s Kopa’ category has been included as part of the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
