Barcelona's 18-year-old midfielder Gavi has been crowned the world's best Under-21 footballer at the Ballon d'Or awards.
The Spain international has been named as the winner of the 2022 Kopa Trophy which is handed to the best Under-21 player in the world. Gavi beat off competition from the likes of Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, Bayern's Jamal Musiala and Eduardo Camavinga to scoop the prize. Gavi's Barcelona team-mate Pedri won the award last year and previous winners include Kylian Mbappe and Matthijs de Ligt.
Gavi burst onto the scene in 2021 and quickly became a regular for Barcelona and Spain despite his lack of top-level experience. The combative midfielder has already made 60 appearances for the Catalan giants, despite only turning 18 in August. Barcelona moved to secure his long-term future by handing him a contract in September that contains a €1bn release clause.
"I try and give the best of myself the whole time and try to apply myself in the best way," Gavi said after picking up the award from team-mate Pedri. Last year's winner admitted he was thrilled to see his midfield partner succeed him. "It is a very proud thing to see [Gavi win]," he added. "We spend a lot of time together and I hope we are playing together for many years to come."
