What is the Golden Boy award? Shortlist, rules, past winners for Europe’s best Under-21 player

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 15 Feb 2025 07:52 CST
• 6 min read

Lamine Yamal was voted as The Golden Boy for 2024, following up on his victory in the Kopa Trophy.

The Barcelona star was handed the award in a ceremony in Turin on November 27, 2024, after emerging victorious from the 20-man shortlist.

The Golden Boy award is given to the best young footballer in Europe over a calendar year, and it is voted for by sports journalists across the continent.

READ MORE: Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal wins 2024 Golden Boy award

There have been many recipients of the prestigious prize who have gone on to have superstar careers, so it is an accolade that is held in high regard.

The reigning champion is Spain international Lamine Yamal following his success in 2024. Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham won the 2023 edition, while Yamal's Barcelona team-mates Pedri and Gavi scooped the award in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

READ MORE: Who won Ballon d’Or 2024? Final ranking and past winners

Golden Boy shortlist for 2025

The Golden Boy shortlist for 2025 is yet to be announced.

It is likely that it will be revealed following the end of the domestic season.

In 2024, it was produced on 5 June before being whittled down to 20 finalists on October 17.

What is the Golden Boy award?

The prize was established by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport in 2003, with Ajax starlet Rafael van der Vaart taking home the inaugural trophy.

The rules are simple. All nominees must be under the age of 21 and play in a European top division, with most past winners coming from the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A or Ligue 1.

The award names the player who the jury believes is the brightest young talent in world football for that specific year.

How is the Golden Boy award decided and who votes?

The winner of the award is determined by a vote. Each voter allocates 10 points to the player they deem most impressive, with seven points for second, five points for third, three points for fourth and one point for fifth.

Voters are sports journalists from a host of Europe’s most well-respected newspapers, including Bild (Germany), l’Equipe (France) and Marca (Spain).

When is the Golden Boy trophy awarded?

A shortlist of players is comprised every year with the final list of candidates usually available around October and the award ceremony typically taking place in November or December.

Golden Boy winner 2024

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal won the 2024 Golden Boy award.

The Spain star, who had won Euro 2024 just months earlier, was crowned Europe's best U21 player on November 27, 2024.

He continued the long tradition of Barcelona Golden Boys after Lionel Messi, Pedri and Gavi.

Golden Boy winner 2023

Jude Bellingham was voted as The Golden Boy for 2023.

The Real Madrid star was handed the award in a ceremony in Turin on December 4, 2023, after emerging victorious from the 25-man shortlist.

Bayern's Jamal Musiala came second and Leipzig's Xavi Simons finished third.

Golden Boy winner 2022

Barcelona midfielder Gavi won the 2022 Golden Boy trophy.

He became the third Barca player to lift the award after Lionel Messi in 2005 and Pedri in 2021.

He beat competition from three other high-quality finalists: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund) and Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich).

Golden Boy award: Past winners

Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero are some of the players who won the award as youngsters and went on to become global stars.

There are some other impressive names among the past victors. Some other winners, though, did not go on to achieve their full potential.

That makes looking back through Golden Boy history an intriguing topic, with a real mix of names and outcomes proving that bursting onto the scene at a young age is not always a guarantee of long-term success.

As with most awards, the forward players tend to take centre stage, with 11 of the previous 22 winners being attacking stars.

Matthijs de Ligt became the first defender to win in 2018 after a series of stellar performances in Ajax’s fairytale Champions League run and eight midfielders have also come out on top.

A goalkeeper has never finished in first place.

Spain has produced the most winners with four. In 2022, Gavi joined Pedri, Cesc Fabregas and Isco as victors from Spain, taking the country one clear of France and England on three winners. Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial have won it for France, while Wayne Rooney, Raheem Sterling and Jude Bellingham have won the award for England.

Remarkably, there has never been a winner from Belgium despite their recent golden generation.

Barcelona are the club who have had the most winners. Lionel Messi, Pedri, Gavi and Lamine Yamal have all scooped the Golden Boy award.

Fascinatingly, Cristiano Ronaldo was never named as European football's Golden Boy.