The 2026 Golden Boy award shortlist has been announced, with eight Premier League players in contention. The prize, given to the most impactful player under 21, is seen as a strong indicator of future stardom. This year, only players born after 2006 are eligible.
The Premier League representatives are Chelsea's Estevao and Jorrel Hato, Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi and Rayan, Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly, Brighton's Luka Vuskovic and Charalampos Kostoulas, and Manchester City's Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Competition and Voting
They face stiff competition from past winner Lamine Yamal, new £120m Real Madrid signing Yan Diomande, and PSG's Warren Zaire-Emery, among others. A panel of European journalists will vote, with the ceremony set for December 16 in Turin, Italy.
However, the award is no guarantee of success. Here is how every Golden Boy recipient since 2003 has fared.
Early Winners and Their Legacies
2003 – Rafael van der Vaart: Won while at Ajax at 20. Moves to Hamburg, Real Madrid, and Tottenham followed, but he arguably never fully realised his potential. He retired in 2019 and now works as a pundit.
2004 – Wayne Rooney: Took the honour after moving from Everton to Manchester United for £30m. He won five league titles, a Champions League, FA Cup, three League Cups, and the Europa League, becoming United's all-time top scorer and an England legend.
2005 – Lionel Messi: Arguably the greatest of all time. He won ten La Liga titles, four Champions Leagues, two Ligue 1 championships, eight Ballons d'Or, and a World Cup. Now 39, he plays for Inter Miami but has retired from international football.
2006 – Cesc Fabregas: A major player for Arsenal, he moved to Barcelona in 2011. He won the World Cup and two European Championships with Spain, plus league titles with Barca and Chelsea. He is now manager of Serie A side Como.
2007 – Sergio Aguero: After winning at Atletico Madrid, he joined Manchester City in 2011, scoring 260 goals in 390 games and winning five Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and six League Cups.
Mixed Fortunes for Mid-2000s Stars
2008 – Anderson: The Brazilian midfielder won while at United after spells with Gremio and Porto. He helped United to four league titles, a Champions League, and a League Cup over eight years but struggled for form and retired in 2019.
2009 – Alexandre Pato: Won while at AC Milan. Injuries derailed a promising career. Spells in Brazil, a brief Chelsea stint, and time in Spain followed before retiring in 2023 with a Serie A title, Club World Cup, and Italian Super Cup.
2010 – Mario Balotelli: Already had 86 Inter Milan appearances and three Serie A titles plus a Champions League when he won. He has played for Man City, Liverpool, and 11 other clubs. Now 36, he plays for Al-Ittifaq.
2011 – Mario Gotze: Germany's next big thing at Dortmund, he moved to Bayern Munich in 2013. He scored the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final but returned to Dortmund in 2016 after struggling at Bayern.
2012 – Isco: Burst onto the scene at Malaga, earning a move to Real Madrid, where he played nine seasons, winning three LaLiga titles and five Champions Leagues.
Recent Winners and Current Stars
2013 – Paul Pogba: Left United for Juventus in 2012, then returned for £89m in 2016. His career was mixed, winning many trophies including the World Cup with France. He is now without a club after leaving Monaco in 2026.
2014 – Raheem Sterling: Joined City from Liverpool for £50m in 2015, winning four league titles before leaving for Chelsea in 2022. Unsuccessful loans at Arsenal and Feyenoord followed.
2015 – Anthony Martial: Joined Man Utd for £50m from Monaco in 2015. He lasted nine years, winning the FA Cup, League Cup, and Europa League, scoring 90 goals in 317 games. He last played for Liga MX club Monterrey.
2016 – Renato Sanches: Won Euro 2016 with Portugal at 18 but failed to nail down a spot at most clubs, with middling spells at Benfica, Bayern Munich, Swansea, and PSG.
2017 – Kylian Mbappe: Left Monaco for PSG in 2017 and won the World Cup in 2018. He scored 256 goals in 308 games for PSG, winning six Ligue 1 titles. He moved to Real Madrid in 2024, where he continues to score freely.
2018 – Matthijs de Ligt: Announced himself at Ajax, then joined Juventus and Bayern Munich before moving to Man Utd in summer 2024, where he has faced poor form and injuries.
2019 – Joao Felix: Signed for Atletico Madrid for £113m after impressing at Benfica. After frustrating loans at Chelsea and Barcelona, he signed permanently for Chelsea for £45m in 2024. He was loaned to Milan in January 2025 before moving to Al Nassr.
2020 – Erling Haaland: Joined Manchester City in 2022 and led them to the treble in his first season. He has scored 169 goals in 205 games and 65 in 59 appearances for Norway.
2021 – Pedri: Moved to Barcelona from Las Palmas and has become a key figure. At 23, he has won three La Liga titles, two domestic cups, Euro 2024, and the 2026 World Cup.
2022 – Gavi: Viewed as Barca's next superstar, he received the award in 2022. Despite injury setbacks, he helped Spain win the World Cup this summer and has three La Liga titles.
2023 – Jude Bellingham: Had already moved to Real Madrid for £115m when he won. The 23-year-old won a La Liga and Champions League double in 2024 and is a central figure for England.
2024 – Lamine Yamal: At just 16, he became the linchpin for Barcelona and won Euro 2024 with Spain. He has won three LaLiga titles with Barca and won the World Cup this summer.
2025 – Desire Doue: Joined PSG from Rennes and has become a superstar. He has won the Champions League twice, scoring twice in the final against Inter Milan in 2024.
