Juventus forward Kerim Alajbegovic finished seventh in the 2026 Kopa Trophy rankings at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on 26 October. The award is officially named the Men’s Young Talent of the Year Award.
Ranking and award
Alajbegovic, the 19-year-old, placed seventh in the final standings. Lamine Yamal won the 2026 Kopa Trophy after also winning the prize in each of the previous two years. The award is voted for by former Ballon d’Or winners.
How he earned the nomination
Alajbegovic was the only Serie A representative on the 10-man shortlist. He earned his nomination after a breakthrough season on loan at RB Salzburg from Bayer Leverkusen. Juventus signed Alajbegovic in the summer in a deal worth around €35m.
His start at Juventus
Since moving to Turin, Alajbegovic has made 10 appearances in all competitions. He scored his first goal for the club in the Europa League against NEC in September. He has become a regular part of Luciano Spalletti’s squad during an injury crisis.
International stage and past winner
Alajbegovic also starred for Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Cup, scoring in their 3-1 win over Qatar in Seattle. Matthijs de Ligt won the 2019 prize after his performances for Ajax.