The closest answer to this perennial question may be the Golden Boy award winner. Every year, the Golden Boy recognizes Europe's top under-21 football talent, and in 2023, it was none other than Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham. As we look ahead to 2024, speculation has already begun about who might claim this prestigious honor from the 25-man shortlist. With a history of winners that includes global icons like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Erling Haaland, the Golden Boy award has cemented itself as a key indicator of future footballing greatness.
What is the Golden Boy Award?
The Golden Boy award, established in 2003 by Italian newspaper Tuttosport, is presented annually to the best under-21 footballer in Europe. The award’s first winner was Rafael van der Vaart, a then-promising young star at Ajax, who went on to play for clubs like Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur. To qualify for the award, players must be born on or after January 1, 2004, and compete in one of UEFA's top 25 leagues.
How is the Winner Decided?
The Golden Boy award is determined through a mix of data analysis and journalist voting. The selection process begins with Tuttosport's "Golden Boy Football Benchmark Index," which evaluates players on factors such as minutes played and performances for club and country. A shortlist of 25 players is created from the index’s top 20 players, along with five wildcard selections. This shortlist is then voted on by a jury of 50 journalists, with the final winner being announced in November, followed by a December awards ceremony in Turin.
The 2024 Golden Boy Shortlist
The shortlist for the 2024 Golden Boy award, revealed on October 17, includes many of Europe’s rising stars. Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, PSG’s Joao Neves and Warren Zaire-Emery, and Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo, and Leny Yoro are among the standout names. Other players, like Real Madrid’s Endrick and Tottenham Hotspur's Wilson Odobert, also made the cut as wildcard selections. These players are all vying for recognition as Europe’s brightest young talent.
The 2024 Golden Boy Nominees (full list)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Joao Neves (PSG)
Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG)
Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)
Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)
Savio (Manchester City)
Rico Lewis (Manchester City)
Aleksander Pavlovic (Bayern Munich)
Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
Jorrel Hato (Ajax)
Leny Yoro (Manchester United)
Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (Borussia Dortmund)
Kenan Yildiz (Juventus)
Christian Mosquera (Valencia)
Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Arda Guler (Real Madrid)
Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich)
Desirè Doué (PSG)
Oscar Gloukh (Salzburg)
Samu Omorodion (Porto)
Wilson Odbert (Tottenham)
Endrick (Real Madrid)
Samuel Mbangula (Juventus)
Andreas Schjelderup (Benfica)
Eliess Ben Seghir (Monaco).
Previous Golden Boy Winners
Over the years, the Golden Boy award has been won by some of football's greatest players. From Wayne Rooney (2004) and Lionel Messi (2005) to Paul Pogba (2013) and Kylian Mbappé (2017), the list of past winners reads like a hall of fame of modern football. Erling Haaland (2020) and Pedri (2021) are among the most recent winners, with 2023 seeing Jude Bellingham crowned as the Golden Boy. This impressive roster of names underlines the prestige of the award and its knack for predicting future superstars.
Who Could Win in 2024?
One of the frontrunners for the 2024 Golden Boy award is Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. The 17-year-old winger was a key figure in Spain’s Euro 2024 success, leading the tournament in assists and establishing himself as one of Europe's most promising talents. Yamal’s dynamic performances in La Liga and the Champions League further bolster his case for winning the award. Other strong contenders include PSG’s Joao Neves, who recently completed a €60 million transfer from Benfica, and Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho, who has shown immense potential as a 20-year-old winger.
The Role of the Kopa Trophy
In addition to the Golden Boy award, there is also the Kopa Trophy, presented by France Football for the best under-21 player in Europe. Since its introduction in 2018, the winners of both the Golden Boy and Kopa Trophy have frequently aligned, with Bellingham being the most recent player to claim both honors. However, the Golden Boy Web award, voted for by fans, sometimes yields a different result, as seen in 2022 when Roma’s Nicola Zalewski won the Web award while Barcelona’s Gavi took home the Golden Boy title.