The organisers of the prestigious Golden Boy Award have released the final list of 25 young footballers nominated for the 2025 edition of the prize, which celebrates the best under-21 player in Europe’s top football leagues.
The award, launched by Italian newspaper Tuttosport in 2003, is given each year to the most impressive young player in Europe under the age of 21. Past winners include some of football’s biggest stars like Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappé.
The most recent winner, Lamine Yamal of Barcelona, claimed the award in 2024. However, he is not eligible this year, as a player is only allowed to win the Golden Boy once.
The final shortlist for 2025 was selected by 50 journalists from top European sports outlets, with Tuttosport adding five wild card picks to complete the list.
Among the most notable names on the list are:
Warren Zaïre-Emery and Désiré Doué from Paris Saint-Germain
Arda Güler, Dean Huijsen, and Franco Mastantuono from Real Madrid
Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly from Arsenal
Estêvão and Jorrel Hato from Chelsea
Leny Yoro, who recently moved to Manchester United
Other rising stars on the list include Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray from Tottenham Hotspur, and Nico O’Reilly of Manchester City.
Tuttosport’s five wild card picks are:
Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund, brother of Jude Bellingham),
Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter Milan),
Rodrigo Mora (Porto),
Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool), and
Aleksandar Stanković (Club Brugge).
The 2025 Golden Boy winner will be selected later this year, based on votes from the same panel of journalists.
The award continues to attract global attention, as it often predicts the next global superstar. With top clubs like Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United all having players on the list, this year’s competition promises to be very competitive.