Desire Doue Crowned 2025 Golden Boy, Succeeds Lamine Yamal

Arsenal, Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid players were all overlooked.

Désiré Doué finished 14th at the 2025 Ballon d’Or. / Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Paris Saint-Germain starlet Désiré Doué has been named the 2025 Golden Boy, holding off the likes of Real Madrid star Dean Huijsen and Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsí to be named as Lamine Yamal’s successor.

The award dished out by Italian sports paper Tuttosport goes to the best player aged 21 or under in a European nation’s top flight.

Barcelona’s 18-year-old sensation Yamal would naturally have been the favourite to claim the gong again. The divisive Spain international finished second in this year’s Ballon d’Or among players of all ages but is not eligible after winning the 2024 Golden Boy.

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Unlike Yamal, Doué crowned a triumphant 2024–25 campaign with Champions League glory, scoring twice in a dominant 5–0 thrashing of Inter Milan in the final. “I have no words, incredible for me,” he gawped at the final whistle. “I have no words.” Just six months earlier, he had no minutes.

Across the opening months of the season, Luis Enrique was still playing Ousmane Dembélé out wide, leaving just one spot on the flank which Bradley Barcola had possession of. Doué only started one of PSG’s first five Champions League matches, a run which saw the French giants claim a single win.

The fleet-footed forward came off the bench against RB Salzburg to score his maiden European goal in a 3–0 win which set the tone for the rest of PSG’s continental campaign with Doué front and centre.

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Full List of Winners at 2025 Golden Boy Awards

Doué was not the only recipient of an award at the elongated unveiling procedure. The PSG hierarchy of sporting director Luis Campos and club president Nasser Al Khelaifi were both honoured after overseeing a successful transition from the celebrity “bling-bling” era to Enrique’s modern iteration of selfless winners.

England Lionesses Leah Williamson and Michelle Agyemang were also recognised for their role in the European Championship triumph.

Liverpool’s late, great Diogo Jota was also commemorated after tragically passing away over the summer.

Award	Winner
Best Football Executive	Luis Campos
Best President	Nasser Al Khelaifi
Golden Player Man	Diogo Jota
Golden Player Woman	Leah Williamson
Golden Girl	Michelle Agyemang
Italian Golden Girl	Eva Schatzer
Italian Golden Boy	Francesco Pio Esposito
Best Agent	Ali Barat

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2025 Golden Boy Nominees

Warren Zaïre-Emery (left) and Désiré Doué were two of three PSG nominees. / Xavier Laine/Getty Images

• Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona, Spain)
• Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
• Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid, Spain)
• Kenan Yıldız (Juventus, Türkiye)
• Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal, England)
• Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
• Arda Güler (Real Madrid, Türkiye)
• Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid, Argentina)
• Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal, England)
• Jorrel Hato (Chelsea, Netherlands)
• Geovany Quenda (Sporting CP, Portugal)
• Estêvão (Chelsea, Brazil)
• Leny Yoro (Manchester United, France)
• Senny Mayulu (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
• Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City, England)
• Eliesse Ben Seghir (Bayer Leverkusen, Morocco)
• Victor Froholdt (Porto, Denmark)
• Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham Hotspur, Sweden)
• Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur, England)
• Mamadou Sarr (Strasbourg, France)

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Full List of Golden Boy Winners

Lamine Yamal took home the Golden Boy award in 2024. / IMAGO/Pressinphoto

Year	Player	Club
2025	Désiré Doué	Paris Saint-Germain
2024	Lamine Yamal	Barcelona
2023	Jude Bellingham	Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid
2022	Gavi	Barcelona
2021	Pedri	Barcelona
2020	Erling Haaland	Borussia Dortmund
2019	João Félix	Benfica/Atlético Madrid
2018	Matthijs de Ligt	Ajax
2017	Kylian Mbappé	Monaco/Paris Saint-Germain
2016	Renato Sanches	Benfica/Bayern Munich
2015	Anthony Martial	Monaco/Manchester United
2014	Raheem Sterling	Liverpool
2013	Paul Pogba	Juventus
2012	Isco	Málaga
2011	Mario Götze	Borussia Dortmund
2010	Mario Balotelli	Inter Milan/Manchester City
2009	Alexandre Pato	AC Milan
2008	Anderson	Manchester United
2007	Sergio Agüero	Atlético Madrid
2006	Cesc Fàbregas	Arsenal
2005	Lionel Messi	Barcelona
2004	Wayne Rooney	Everton/Manchester United
2003	Rafael van der Vaart	Ajax

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