Football fans did a double take when the Golden Boy 2025 shortlist dropped courtesy of Italian outlet Tuttosport. The list included none other than Lamine Yamal, the 17-year-old FC Barcelona sensation who lit up Europe last season. The teenager led Barcelona to a league and cup double, dazzled Spain and even finished second to Ousmane Dembele at the Ballon d’Or. And yet his name was nowhere among this year’s top 25 young stars.
Since its launch in 2003 by journalist Massimo Franchi, the Golden Boy award has crowned Europe’s brightest under-21 footballers, with the winner voted for by journalists from across the continent. From Lionel Messi to Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, the list of past winners reads like a who’s who of modern football. Joining this elite group in 2024, Yamal became the youngest recipient of the award after an extraordinary breakout season that allowed him to redefine what it means to be a teenage prodigy.
So naturally fans expected him to reappear, especially given his continued brilliance for club and country. But the reason for its absence is not about form or favoritism. It’s simply about the Golden Boy Golden Rule.
Why is Yamal missing?
As surprising as it may seem, the omission of Lamine Yamal is due to the rules. The Golden Boy award can only be won once in a player’s career. Once you pick up the trophy, that’s it. You are off the list for good. The aim is to keep the award fresh and highlight new rising stars each year, rather than celebrate repeat winners.
Given that Yamal already took home the trophy in 2024 thanks to a record number of votes and an unrivaled Football Benchmark Index score, he is automatically ineligible for 2025. His absence is therefore not an insult but a formality. The reigning champion basically passed the competition.
This year’s shortlist continues to bring plenty of excitement, featuring Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi, Real Madrid’s Dean Huijsen, Fenerbahce’s Arda Guler, Rennes midfielder Desire Doue and Borussia Dortmund’s Jobe Bellingham, the younger brother of Jude Bellingham, who has made a name for himself.
Among the 25, PSG’s Desire Doue is one of the favorites for this year’s award after helping PSG win the quadruple, including the UEFA Champions League.
Golden Boy 2025: Complete list of nominees
- Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona and Spain)
- Desire Doue (Paris Saint-Germain and France)
- Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid and Spain)
- Kenan Yildiz (Juventus and Turkey)
- Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal and England)
- Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain and France)
- Arda Guler (Real Madrid and Turkey)
- Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid and Argentina)
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
- Jorrel Hato (Chelsea and Netherlands)
- Geovany Quenda (Sporting CP)
- Estevao (Chelsea and Brazil)
- Leny Yoro (Manchester United)
- Senny Mayulu (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
- Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City)
- Eliesse Ben Seghir (Bayer Leverkusen and Morocco)
- Rodrigo Mora (Porto)
- Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool)
- Victor Froholdt (Porto and Denmark)
- Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham and Sweden)
- Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter and Italy)
- Archie Gray (Tottenham)
- Mamadou Sarr (Chelsea and Strasbourg)
- Aleksandar Stankovic (Club Brugge and Serbia)
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
October 16, 2025
