Raymond Kopa

Lore & Background

Kopa was born to a family of Polish immigrants. His grandparents were originally from Kraków and migrated to Germany, where his parents were born. They then migrated to France after the First World War. His surname was shortened to Kopa from Kopaszewski while he was at school. He acquired French nationality at his majority in 1952. At the age of 14, he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, father and brother by working in the coal mines of Nœux-les-Mines. During this time Kopa lost a finger in a mining accident. Kopa married Christiane, the sister of a teammate of his at Angers. After retiring from the game he launched his own sportswear brand, eventually settling in Corsica. Kopa died in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, on 3 March 2017, aged 85. Kopa was mentored by Paul Sinibaldi. Sinibaldi was the godfather to Kopa's son.

In Their Own Story

The air in Råsunda Stadium was thick with tension as the semi-final against Brazil approached. Kopa adjusted his blue jersey, feeling the weight of the nation on his shoulders. He looked at the green grass, remembering the long journey from Saint-Saulve to this moment. As the referee blew the whistle, he closed his eyes for a second, focusing only on the ball and the space ahead. When he received the pass, time seemed to slow. The crowd roared as he turned, shielding the leather sphere with effortless poise. It was not just a match; it was history being written in blue.

Reader's Guide

After finishing second in the French national youth football trials in 1949, Kopa began his professional career at age 17 with Angers in Ligue 2 and was transferred two years later to Reims, with whom he won French championships in 1953 and 1955. He won the 1953 Latin Cup with Reims, where they defeated Milan 3–0 in the final, and helped them reach the 1956 European Cup Final, which the team lost to Alfredo Di Stéfano's Real Madrid, 4–3. Kopa had first attracted attention in Spain when he played for France against Spain in a match in Madrid in March 1955, after which the Spanish sports newspaper Marca nicknamed him 'Little Napoleon'. Kopa was transferred to Real Madrid for the 1956–57 season, where he was soon joined by Ferenc Puskás. Despite playing as an inside right at Real Madrid rather than as the no. 10, his usual position, Kopa helped the club to three successive European cup victories and the Spanish league title in 1957 and 1958. Kopa was also the first French player to win the European Cup when Madrid defeated Fiorentina 2–0 in the 1957 final. He would go on to be European champion again in 1958 and 1959, the latter against former side Reims, where Just Fontaine was playing. In the 1959–60 season, Kopa returned to France to finish his career with Reims, where he won further Championnats in 1960 and 1962. In total, he scored 75 goals in 346 matches in France's top flight, and was awarded the Ballon d'Or by France Football in 1958. With the France national team, Kopa scored 18 goals in 45 matches between 1952 and 1962. He played in the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, scoring three goals as he led France to the semi-finals, where they lost 5–2 to a strong Brazil team. The French team finished third in the tournament.

Did You Know?

• Kopa lost a finger in a mining accident at age 14.
• He was the first French player to win the European Cup.
• Kopa was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1958.
• He was the first football player to receive the Legion of Honour in 1970.
• The Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young football player, is named in his honor.