Golden Boy 2025: Full List of Nominees

Thirteen nations and clubs are represented among the 25 nominees.

Estêvão (left), Désiré Doué (middle) and Arda Güler headline the 2025 Golden Boy nominees. / Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images, Franco Arland/Getty Images, Gokhan Taner/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images

The Golden Boy 2025 nominees shortlist has been revealed, featuring 25 of the best players under 21-years-old across European football.

The award, similar to the Kopa Trophy, celebrates the best young footballer playing in a European country’s top league. The Golden Boy was created by Italian newspaper Tuttosport in 2003 to celebrate the best and brightest young players across the continent.

Voting includes representatives from countries such as France, Spain, England, Portugal and more. Unlike the Kopa Trophy, however, the Golden Boy takes into consideration a full calendar year compared to its counterpart which is based on a full season instead.

Players in the past to win the award include Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and most recently Lamine Yamal.

Check out the full list of nominees, including the Wild Cards, below.

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Jump to:

1. Golden Boy 2025 Nominees: Age, Club, Country
2. Golden Boy 2025 Wild Cards: Age, Club, Country
3. Why Lamine Yamal Isn’t Nominated for the 2025 Golden Boy Award

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Golden Boy 2025 Nominees: Age, Club, Country

Paris Saint-Germain claimed their first-ever Champions League title last season. / Xavier Laine/Getty Images

Player	Age	Club	Country
Pau Cubarsí	18	Barcelona	Spain
Désiré Doué	20	Paris Saint-Germain	France
Dean Huijsen	20	Real Madrid	Spain
Kenan Yıldız	20	Juventus	Türkiye
Myles Lewis-Skelly	19	Arsenal	England
Warren Zaïre-Emery	19	Paris Saint-Germain	France
Arda Güler	20	Real Madrid	Türkiye
Franco Mastantuono	18	Real Madrid	Argentina
Ethan Nwaneri	18	Arsenal	England
Jorrel Hato	19	Chelsea	Netherlands
Geovany Quenda	18	Sporting CP	Portugal
Estêvão	18	Chelsea	Brazil
Leny Yoro	19	Manchester United	France
Senny Mayulu	19	Paris Saint-Germain	France
Nico O’Reilly	20	Manchester City	England
Eliesse Ben Seghir	20	Bayer 04 Leverkusen	Morocco
Victor Froholdt	19	Porto	Denmark
Lucas Bergvall	19	Tottenham Hotspur	Sweden
Archie Gray	19	Tottenham Hotspur	England
Mamadou Sarr	20	Strasbourg	France

Thirteen different nations are represented among the 20 initial finalists across 13 unique clubs. France is the most represented with five nominees, followed by England with four. Champions League holders, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid each have three representatives, more than any other club.

PSG youngster Désiré Doué is a favourite for the award after helping the Ligue 1 side to their first Champions League triumph. Doué finished second in Kopa Trophy voting to Yamal, but the Barcelona star is not nominated given he won the Golden Boy last year.

If Doué wins, he would become just the second French player in eight years to be named Golden Boy. As well, it would break a tie with England for the most awards won by nationality. Spain is the current leader with five wins while England and France are tied on three.

Also among the top contenders are Real Madrid playmakers Arda Güler, Franco Mastantuono and Chelsea talent Estêvão.

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Golden Boy 2025 Wild Cards: Age, Club, Country

Jobe Bellingham could become the second Bellingham to win the award in three years. / Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Player	Age	Club	Country
Jobe Bellingham	20	Borussia Dortmund	England
Francesco Pio Esposito	20	Inter	Italy
Rodrigo Mora	18	Porto	Portugal
Giovanni Leoni	18	Liverpool	Italy
Aleksandar Stanković	20	Club Brugge	Serbia

Tuttosport’s editorial team also names five Wild Card players. Headlining this year’s list are Jobe Bellingham, Rodrigo Mora and Giovanni Leoni. These five players will be considered among the rest of the nominees, bringing the total up for the award to 25.

As well, with Bellingham’s nomination, England matches France with five players. If the Dortmund midfielder does win the award, he’d follow in his brother Jude’s footsteps given the Real Madrid star won it in 2023.

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Why Lamine Yamal Isn’t Nominated for the 2025 Golden Boy Award

Lamine Yamal is one of the best players in the world of any age. / Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

The Barcelona superstar is not nominated simply due to the fact that he won it in 2024. The rule prevents a monopoly if a player is well below the age threshold, but also casts doubt on the award given the Ballon d’Or equivalent allowed Yamal to become the first two-time winner in September.

Regardless, a new winner, as has been tradition since the award’s creation, will be crowned this year.

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