Dutch defender De Ligt wins young player gong at Ballon d'Or awards
19 August 2024 at 08:26Dutch starlet Matthijs de Ligt succeeded Kylian Mbappe as the winner of the Kopa Trophy for the best player aged under 21 at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony in Paris on Monday.Netherlands and Juventus defender, Matthijs de Ligt and his girlfriend Annekee Molenaar arrive to attend the Ballon d'Or ceremony at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris - De Ligt won the Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21
The defender, 20, starred in the Ajax side who reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and won the Dutch title, before joining Juventus in the close season in a deal worth 85.5 million euros ($94.7 million).
The award is named after Raymond Kopa, the Real Madrid and France star of the post-war era who won the Ballon d'Or in 1958.
France forward Mbappe was the inaugural winner of the prize last year.
British newspapers hailed a "defeat over greed" and a victory for fans on Wednesday after all six English clubs withdrew from the European Super League, leaving the controversial project in tatters.
Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham joined Manchester City in withdrawing from proposals for a European Super League (ESL) on Tuesday as the controversial plan collapsed amid a furious backlash.
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