Lamine Yamal (L), Arda Guler (M) and Desire Doue (R) have been nominated for the Golden Boy Award
The 100-player shortlist for the prestigious 2025 Golden Boy award has been released.
While familiar names like Lamine Yamal, Arda Güler, and Desiré Doué dominate the headlines, it’s Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsí who is emerging as the frontrunner for this year’s title.
Published by Tuttosport, the organisers of the award, the latest Golden Boy Index ranks Cubarsí second overall with a strong chance of claiming the honour.
He is the highest-placed eligible player after Lamine Yamal, who tops the current index with a rating of 97.7 but cannot win again after lifting the trophy in 2024.
Also high in the latest rankings are Desiré Doué of Paris Saint-Germain (3rd), Arda Güler of Real Madrid, and Kenan Yildiz of Juventus (7th), the latter being the only Serie A-based player in the current top 10.
France lead the way with the most nominees (17) on the 100-man list, underlining the country’s continued strength in youth development. Belgium (10), Spain (8), and England (8) follow closely behind.
Italy have just two players on the list, Pietro Comuzzo (18th) and Giovanni Leoni (99th), although five players currently plying their trade in Serie A made the cut, including Alex Jimenez (69th), Kenan Yildiz (7th), and Diao del Como (28th).
One standout name in the top 10 is Dean Huijsen, ranked 6th, who recently completed a move from Bournemouth to Real Madrid ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Another is Jan-Carlo Simic, formerly of AC Milan and now at Anderlecht, ranked 24th.
The award, launched in 2003, is presented annually to the best Under-21 footballer in Europe based on performances across domestic and international competitions.
Check out the top 10 nominees below:
FKA/MA
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