List of all the Golden Boy award winners

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :November 27, 2024 at 10:03 PM

Modified at :November 27, 2024 at 10:58 PM

Sports journalists present the award to Europe’s youngest player for his exemplary performance.

One of football’s most prestigious awards, given to a player who has displayed one of the finest performances at a young age. The Golden Boy Award is only given to players who are younger than the age of 21 and play in Europe’s top leagues. Many young players have contended for this recognised football prize over the years, and thanks to football, we will continue to see such young talents making an impression at such a young age.

The award was established in 2003 by the Italian newspaper Tuttosport, with sports journalists from all over Europe selecting the most promising young talent. Barcelona duo Pedri and Gavi bagged the award in two successive calendar years respectively 2021 and 2022.

This time around, we have witnessed the emergence of another Barca talent, after the 2023 one went to Real Madrid‘s Jude Bellingham.

We now take a look at all the Golden Boy winners

2003 – Rafael van der Vaart (Ajax)

2004 – Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

2005 – Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

2006 – Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)

2007 – Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid)

2008 – Anderson (Manchester United)

2009 – Alexander Pato (AC Milan)

2010 – Mario Balotelli (AC Milan and Manchester City)

2011 – Mario Gotze (Borussia Dortmund)

2012 – Isco (Real Madrid)

2013 – Paul Pogba (Juventus)

2014 – Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)

2015 – Anthony Martial (Monaco and Manchester United)

2016- Renato Sanches (Benfica and Bayern Munich)

2017- Kylian Mbappe (Monaco and PSG)

2018 – Matthis de Ligit (Ajax)

2019 – Joao Felix (Benfica and Atletico Madrid)

2020 – Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)

2021 – Pedri (Barcelona)

2022 – Gavi (Barcelona)

2023 – Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)

2024 – Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

⭐ 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 ⭐ pic.twitter.com/Sf3cQp8W4E
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 27, 2024

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Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.