The best young player in European football is chosen by journalists through the Golden Boy award.
To be eligible for the award, all nominees must be younger than 21.
The award’s first winner was the former Real Madrid and Netherlands midfielder Rafael van der Vaart in 2003. The most recent champion was Pedri, a rising star from Barcelona, who won in 2021.
Wayne Rooney, Raheem Sterling, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland are just a few examples of past winners.
Stars from the Premier League also made the cut, including Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho of Liverpool, Anthony Elanga of Manchester United, and Fabio Elanga.
The complete list is provided below.
Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund and England will likely be among the front-runners for the prize.
In the Champions League matchup against Manchester City on Wednesday, Bellingham scored and put up an outstanding performance. receiving accolades from Pep Guardiola, the manager of City.
“I was impressed when he was 17, imagine how much [he]has grown now that he is 19,” the Spaniard remarked.
“Defensively, he can follow Kevin [De Bruyne] or Gundogan into the pockets and win the duels. The change is quick, and he had the vision to move into the second position immediately after scoring the goal.
“He’s a great player, that much is clear, I think. Not because I’m going to tell you, Manchester City’s manager. Everyone is aware of it.
The likes of Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and Pablo Gavi, Barcelona’s newest star, will play alongside Bellingham.
The 18-year-old Gavi recently agreed to a new deal that would keep him playing at the Cam Nou through the year 2026. The club also demonstrated to the world how highly they value Gavi by including a release clause in his contract that is rumored to be worth €1 billion (£866m).
Gavi has grown to be a crucial member of Luis Enrique’s Spain team. The young midfielder was just mentioned by Enrique.
He described himself as “like an erupting volcano.”
You can’t help but fall in love with Gavi. Every fan wants to watch him perform.
