The list of this year’s Golden Boy Award nominees is out, and it features a surprising Manchester United contender alongside eight other Premier League talents.
The annual honour, handed out by Italian sports paper Tuttosport, celebrates the best young players in European football, with past winners including Jude Bellingham and last year’s victor, Lamine Yamal.
Algorithm Meets Wildcards to Pick the Best Young Talent
The nominees are primarily chosen using a sophisticated algorithm developed by Football Benchmark Index, designed to identify the most promising young players globally.
To ensure the process stays fair, Tuttosport has also added five ‘wildcards’ to the mix, giving extra recognition to players who might otherwise be overlooked.
Manchester United’s Leny Yoro Makes the Cut
Amid a tough season for Manchester United, it might have been unexpected for one of their youngsters to stand out—but defender Leny Yoro has done just that.
His impressive performances at Old Trafford earned him a spot on the prestigious list, representing the Red Devils alongside Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly.
O’Reilly, who was a limited figure last season with just nine Premier League appearances, has been a regular fixture under Pep Guardiola this campaign, featuring in all league and Champions League matches.
Premier League’s Strong Showing
The Premier League leads the way with eight nominees, highlighting the wealth of emerging talent in England.
Alongside Yoro and O’Reilly, Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, Tottenham’s Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, and Chelsea’s Jorrel Hato and Brazilian newcomer Estevao are also in contention.
Liverpool’s Giovanni Leoni earns a wildcard nomination despite not yet playing a Premier League minute this season due to a cruciate ligament injury, following an impressive 2024-25 campaign with Parma.
Europe’s Elite Youngsters Round Out the List
Spain’s LaLiga contributes four nominees, including Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi and Real Madrid’s Dean Huijsen, Arda Guler, and Franco Mastantuono.
France’s Ligue 1 also has four representatives: Desire Doue, Warren Zaire-Emery, Senny Mayulu, and Strasbourg’s Mamadou Sarr.
Serie A and the Bundesliga each feature two nominees, including Borussia Dortmund’s Jobe Bellingham, while Portugal’s top clubs provide three more young talents.
Belgium’s Club Brugge rounds out the list with Aleksandar Stankovic.
Panel to Decide the Winner
An international panel of 50 journalists will now evaluate the young stars, whose combined transfer value exceeds £1 billion, to determine the Golden Boy winner.
The results will be revealed at a press conference in November, capping off another year of showcasing the brightest rising football talent across Europe.