When the official voting breakdowns for the Kopa Trophy were published, one particular name that immediately caught the eye of football fans worldwide was that of Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Ibrahim Maza. Lionel Messi , voting as a former Ballon d’Or winner, decided to hand a point to Bayer Leverkusen’s young Algerian international, and he quickly became a hot topic of searches on Google and social media. Messi placed Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal at the top of his card, followed by defender Pau Cubarsi in second. His third-place selection was a name that arguably no one expected.
The Kopa Trophy is the award that recognises the world’s best player under the age of 21.
Speaking to German publication Kicker, Maza described receiving recognition from a player of Messi’s stature as a huge honour, admitting it brought a real smile to his face. “I wanted to focus on the game first and tried to put it out of my mind. “It’s a great honour to receive recognition or be voted for by a player like that. On the pitch, Maza offers a rare mix of technique and versatility that not many players of his age have in modern football. He is comfortable operating in the center as a traditional playmaker, driving down the wings, or slotting in as a second striker. His main strength lies in his ball control and dribbling, allowing him to carry possession out of tight spaces and break through defensive lines. He has also featured in the Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA World Cup for the African side.
But then a few messages came through,” Maza said after Leverkusen’s 2-4 Bundesliga defeat to VfB Stuttgart on Saturday, while also admitting that it’s a moment of immense pride for him. The attacking midfielder hit the ground running in the German Bundesliga, having already scored four goals and three assists in his first 12 competitive appearances for the club, quickly becoming an important part of the attack that also consists of players like Patrick Schick, Moussa Diaby, Martin Terrier, Nathan Tella, etc. Maza has impressed many despite being just 20 but has potential to do a lot more. For his national team, Algeria, Maza has earned a total of 21 international caps and scored 2 goals.
That single vote proved decisive, lifting the youngster to ninth overall in the final standings.
Out of every voter eligible to cast a ballot for the award, Messi was the only person to name Maza in his top three picks, according to a report published by L’Equipe.
