Top five favourites to win Golden Boy Award 2026 ft. Yan Diomande & Pau Cubarsi
Yan Diomande and Pau Cubarsi are the leading favourites to lift the award.
The Golden Boy Award 2026 will be presented to the best under-21 footballer of this calendar year, with the final award ceremony taking place in mid-December. The initial 100-player shortlist for the award was revealed on Sunday, August 16. It included some of the best young footballers from around the world.
The award is presented by Italian media outlet Tuttosport, with the ceremony taking place in Turin. To be eligible for the award, the player must be under the age of 21 when the shortlist is announced, as well as be playing in a European top-flight league. Relegation during the calendar year disqualifies a player.
The players are graded on a scale of 1 to 100 by a statistical grade termed the “Golden Boy Index.” It was jointly developed by Football Benchmark and Tuttosport.
The first award was presented to Rafael van der Vaart in 2003. Since then, several legends of the game have won this prize, including Lionel Messi. The current holder is Paris Saint-Germain’s Desire Doué.
This year, too, several wonderkids have featured in the 100-player shortlist released by Tuttosport. Barcelona and Real Madrid have several representatives on the list. Meanwhile, Victor Froholdt is the only player from outside Europe’s top five leagues to feature in the top 10.
Also read: Who is Victor Froholdt? FC Porto youngster named in Golden Boy 2026 award list
Top five Golden Boy Award 2026 favourites
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| Rank | Player | Club |
| 5 | Victor Froholdt | Porto |
| 4 | Ayyoub Bouaddi | Lille |
| 3 | Warren Zaire-Emery | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 2 | Yan Diomande | Real Madrid |
| 1 | Pau Cubarsi | Barcelona |
Also Read: List of all the Golden Boy award winners
5. Victor Froholdt (Porto)
Victor Froholdt was the only player playing outside Europe’s top five leagues to feature among the top 10 shortlisted players. The Danish midfielder has had a wonderful debut season with Porto since joining from Copenhagen. He made 52 appearances across all competitions, scoring eight goals and registering seven assists.
He has also scored in the Portuguese Super Cup this season.
4. Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille)
Ayyoub Bouaddi’s eye-catching performances for LOSC Lille last season, when he made 42 appearances across all competitions, prompted Morocco to make him their starting midfielder at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Bouaddi was one of the stars of the competition, helping the Atlas Lions reach the quarter-finals. A reported move to Manchester City will only boost his chances of winning the Golden Boy Award even more.
3. Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG)
Since graduating from the Paris Saint-Germain academy in 2022, Warren Zaire-Emery has quickly become a key part of the midfield for the French giants. He made 54 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring three goals and registering five assists. It helped PSG claim the Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League titles.
He also played the entire 90 minutes of the UEFA Super Cup, which PSG won.
2. Yan Diomande (Real Madrid)
Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande had a spectacular season with RB Leipzig, scoring 13 goals and setting up 10 more in 36 appearances across all competitions. His performance for the Elephants in the FIFA World Cup 2026 prompted Real Madrid to sign him for an initial fee of €125 million, making him a key part of Jose Mourinho’s plans with Los Blancos.
1. Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)
Pau Cubarsi started all eight matches for Spain as they steamrolled their way to the FIFA World Cup 2026 title. The golden boy of Barcelona also had a wonderful season with the Catalan club, making 48 appearances across all competitions. His calm and composed nature at the back, which made it hard to believe that he is just 19, helped the Blaugrana claim the LaLiga title.
Who are the top favourites to win the Golden Boy Award 2026?
Real Madrid’s Yan Diomande and Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi are the top favourites to lift the Golden Boy Award this year.
Who won the Golden Boy Award in 2025?
The 2025 winner was Desire Doue of Paris Saint‑Germain.
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Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.