Ranking All 25 Nominees for the 2026 Golden Boy Award

Twenty-five of European soccer’s brightest starlets are up for the 2026 Golden Boy award, with Tuttosport releasing its final shortlist for the prize, handed out in November.

Award season is upon us, folks, and the best U-21 player in the world will be crowned by the Italian newspaper for the 24th time. Rafael van der Vaart was the first victor in 2003, and the esteemed honor has since been bestowed upon the likes of Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham.

Leading Ballon d’Or contender Lamine Yamal was the recipient of the prize in 2024, and although the 19-year-old fits the age requirement for the latest edition, previous winners cannot be crowned more than once.

As a result, Yamal and last year’s Golden Boy winner Désiré Doué have been omitted from Tuttosport’s shortlist. Still, that doesn’t mean there isn’t an array of dazzling alternatives in contention.

Here’s Sports Illustrated’s ranking of the 25 Golden Boy nominees.

2026 Golden Boy Outside Contenders

Xavi Espart has emerged in Catalonia. | Maciej Rogowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Rank	Player	Club
25.	Joane Gadou	Borussia Dortmund
24.	Jon Martín	Real Sociedad
23.	Charalampos Kostoulas	Brighton
22.	Franco Mastantuono	Fiorentina
21.	Kerim Alajbegović	Juventus
20.	Rodrigo Mora	Roma
19.	Konstantinos Karetsas	Borussia Dortmund
18.	Saïd El Mala	FC Köln
17.	Gianluca Prestianni	Benfica
16.	Finn Jeltsch	Stuttgart
15.	Endrick	Real Madrid
14.	Xavi Espart	Barcelona
13.	Estêvão	Barcelona
12.	Marc Bernal	Barcelona
11.	Jorrel Hato	Chelsea

Popular statistics website Transfermarkt teamed up with the award’s organizer to create a top 20 shortlist for the 2026 Golden Boy. However, these 20 players have been accompanied by five “wild cards” selected by a nameless panel.

While none of these five are seriously in contention, Xavi Espart’s emergence at Barcelona this season means he could tease a top-10 finish. Franco Mastantuono’s tough first term in Madrid has made way for glimmers of hope in Florence, while Borussia Dortmund’s Joane Gadou, only 19, could be a strong contender in 2027 and 2028 should he continue on his upward trajectory.

Rodrigo Mora looks set on delivering on his early career promise since joining Roma in the summer, and Brighton & Hove Albion’s Charalampos Kostoulas is in exactly the right place to further his development.

Espart’s Barcelona teammate, Marc Bernal, is another La Masia gem who looks at ease at the highest level and continues to be trusted by Hansi Flick despite the arrival of Rodri in midfield.

Bernal and Espart could soon be joined by Stuttgart’s Finn Jeltsch in Catalonia, given that the center back has started to earn transfer attention from the La Liga leaders. Jeltsch has appeared 57 times for Sebastian Hoeneß’s side and looks set to take the next step in 2027.

German international Saïd El Mala similarly impressed in the Bundesliga last season, scoring 13 times for FC Köln. He was close to joining Dortmund in the summer, but the deal fell through. Still, BVB did land another nominee, Konstantinos Karetsas, who’s at the forefront of an exciting generation of Greek starlets.

Real Sociedad’s Jon Martín is another stellar young center back with ample senior experience, but unlikely to garner great recognition from voters.

Kerim Alajbegović’s cause was aided by his World Cup exploits and subsequent switch to Juventus, while high-profile figures Endrick, Estêvão and Jorrel Hato may rank higher than they perhaps deserve. Endrick was at least briefly prolific for Lyon, but Estêvão has been hindered by a hamstring injury for much of 2026 and is yet to work his way into Xabi Alonso’s plans at Chelsea.

Gianluca Prestianni will be recognized by many due to his altercation with Vinícius Júnior earlier this year. The Brazilian alleged that he was racially abused by the Benfica winger, but Prestianni was instead charged by UEFA for homophobic conduct. He served a six-match suspension and now has the task of helping his country mourn the international retirement of Lionel Messi. Prestianni is one of Argentina’s brightest young stars.

2026 Golden Boy Leading Contenders

10. Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich)

Lennart Karl’s 2026–27 campaign is yet to kick into gear, but the young German’s stellar season last time out means he’s worthy of a top-10 finish.

The Bayern Munich academy graduate earned his big break under Vincent Kompany, playing second fiddle to the Belgian’s array of thriving attacking stars, particularly Michael Olise down the right.

Karl, a majestic dribbler in tight spaces and adept in various roles, notched double-digit goal contributions in a little over 1,200 Bundesliga minutes, and also scored four times in the Champions League as Bayern reached the semifinals.

9. Eli Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth)

It took just one year of Premier League soccer for Eli Junior Kroupi to be considered a $100 million forward.

The French sharpshooter produced a landmark campaign with Bournemouth on the English south coast, primarily operating as a second striker working off Evanilson’s shoulder.

Kroupi’s outstanding ball striking helped him became the first teenager in over two decades to score 10-plus goals in his debut Premier League season. A significant ankle injury sustained in preseason denied him a big summer move, but the continent‘s elite will doubtless be sniffing around again in 2027.

8. Rayan (Bournemouth)

Rayan’s work with the Brazilian national team is bound to satiate voters.

The winger has looked the part ever since he joined Kroupi at the Vitality Stadium in January, immediately settling into Andoni Iraola’s framework.

Rayan had been regarded as one of Brazil’s brightest prospects after scoring 14 times in Série A for Vasco de Gama last year, and the imposing winger, who earned starts for Carlo Ancelotti’s Seleção at the World Cup, will lead the Cherries’ quest for Europa League glory this term.

7. Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal)

Mikel Arteta’s reintegration of Myles Lewis-Skelly down the stretch last season played an underrated role in Arsenal getting their hands on the Premier League title.

Lewis-Skelly broke into the first team as a left back, but spent his youth dominating in midfield. He offers bite and verticality in the engine room, and Arteta eventually saw the light.

His resurgence wasn’t enough to earn him a spot on England’s World Cup roster, but he’s back in Thomas Tuchel’s thinking at the start of the next tournament cycle.

6. Victor Froholdt (Porto)

There have only been four players heralding from outside Europe’s top-five leagues to win the Golden Boy award, with João Félix the most recent in 2019.

However, Victor Froholdt’s campaign with Porto and continued development under Francesco Farioli will be hard for voters to ignore.

The powerful Dane is an all-action midfielder who was instrumental in Porto’s domestic domination last season. Froholdt made 34 Primeira Liga appearances and notched 12 goal contributions.

Danish supporters are waiting for his most potent form to manifest on the international stage.

5. Luka Vušković (Brighton)

Luka Vušković has quite the highlight reel already, and much of this very watchable compilation pinpoints the defender’s prowess in the opposition’s box.

Vušković is a dominant force from set pieces and capable of the spectacular. Hamburg supporters adored him during his Bundesliga loan last season, and Brighton & Hove Albion are reaping the rewards of Roberto De Zerbi’s oversight.

The 19-year-old isn’t yet the finished product defensively, but the raw tools are in place for Vušković to develop into a bona fide star.

4. Warren Zaïre-Emery (PSG)

A perennial contender for this award, Warren Zaïre-Emery continues to play an unsung role for Europe’s supreme force.

Paris Saint-Germain are blessed with the perfect balance in their engine room, forcing Zaïre-Emery to play in reserve when the lights shine brightest. When he’s called upon, though, the dynamic French international seldom lets Luis Enrique down.

He can do a little bit of everything, and has even deputized at right back in Achraf Hakimi’s absence.

Nobody played more minutes for PSG in Ligue 1 than Zaïre-Emery (2,454) last season, and the 20-year-old also appeared 17 times in the Champions League for the back-to-back winners.

3. Yan Diomande (Real Madrid)

There have been teething issues for Yan Diomande at the start of his Real Madrid career, but expectations are high. This was one of the most expensive transfers in soccer history, and Diomande only had one stellar campaign at the elite level.

Diomande’s rise has been rapid. He was a force to be reckoned with at RB Leipzig last term, benefiting from the ample space the transition-heavy division offers, but the Ivorian also befuddled a long list of fullbacks with his dazzling variety as a dribbler.

He ended 2025–26 with 21 goal contributions in 33 league games, yet a quiet World Cup with Côte d’Ivoire means he’s unlikely to be named Africa’s first Golden Boy winner.

2. Ayyoub Bouaddi (Man City)

Manchester City’s conviction of their innocence regarding the 115 charges meant they didn’t hesitate to complete a mightily expensive midfield rebuild in the summer.

Phase two of the rejuvenation involved acquiring a long-term Rodri replacement, and the Cityzens pivoted to Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi.

An intelligent holding midfielder who plays well beyond his years, Bouaddi had garnered plenty of attention entering the World Cup, and the teenager’s performance in Morocco’s group stage draw with Brazil earned great acclaim.

That showing alone was perhaps enough to convince City, and Golden Boy voters are likely to hold Bouaddi’s impressive tournament in high regard.

1. Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona)

It’s Barcelona heritage.

Pau Cubarsí looks set to become the fifth La Masia graduate to be named Tuttosport’s Golden Boy after Messi, Pedri, Gavi and Yamal.

The seldom flustered defender has starred in the most demanding of systems, with Barcelona and Spain’s aggressive defensive lines requiring precise timing, immense bravery and a telepathic understanding with your defensive partners.

Fortunately, Cubarsí has such attributes in abundance. The World Cup winner was named the Young Player of the Tournament, as Spain conceded just once on its way to glory. The defender’s summer merely capped what’s been an extraordinary 12 months, with Barça maintaining its stranglehold over La Liga.

He’s a staggering talent already boasting a remarkable CV.

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