Pau Cubarsi leads 2026 Golden Boy shortlist as Barcelona starlet emerges as favorite for prestigious award
Cubarsi headlines elite list of finalists
Barcelona sensation Cubarsi is the name on everyone's lips after being confirmed as the leading candidate for the 2026 Golden Boy award. The 19-year-old centre-back has enjoyed a meteoric rise, establishing himself as a cornerstone of the Blaugrana defence and playing a pivotal role in Spain's World Cup glory. Having already been recognised as the best young player at the 2026 World Cup, Cubarsi is now widely expected to claim the trophy established by Tuttosport to honour the top Under-21 talent playing in Europe.
The selection process for this prestigious individual honour is rigorous, utilizing the Golden Boy Index developed by Football Benchmark. This methodology evaluates players based on three specific pillars: their sporting performance, total minutes on the pitch, and the relative strength of their club. Additionally, a composite bonus is applied to account for achievements in European and international competitions.
Premier League and La Liga stars dominate
While Cubarsi leads the way, several other high-profile names from the Premier League and La Liga have made the final cut. Manchester City's Ayyoub Bouaddi has entered this exclusive circle for the first time following his high-profile €100 million move from Lille last summer. Meanwhile, Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi has seen his clinical form rewarded - having scored 13 goals in 33 appearances during a standout debut campaign in England.
Real Madrid are also well-represented in the final 25, boasting two candidates in Endrick and summer signing Yan Diomande. Although the Ivorian international has yet to reach his full potential at the Bernabeu, his inclusion is largely due to his incredible statistics during his final season at RB Leipzig. During that campaign, Diomande recorded a staggering 15 goals and 12 assists in 54 matches across all competitions.
Wild card entries and notable inclusions
Tuttosport has once again utilized its 'wild card' system to include players who might have otherwise missed out based strictly on the index. This year's lucky recipients include Brighton's Charalampos Kostoulas, Borussia Dortmund's Joane Gadou, and Xavi Espart of Barcelona. Other notable inclusions on the list are Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly, Chelsea duo Jorrel Hato and Estevao, and Juventus talent Kerim Alajbegovic.
Paris Saint-Germain, who dominated the proceedings last year with three finalists, have a smaller presence this time around. Warren Zaire-Emery remains the sole representative for the French champions, continuing his streak of being recognized among Europe's elite youngsters.
Full list of the 25 candidates
The complete list of finalists features a diverse range of talent from Europe's top five leagues and beyond. Alongside the headline names, the shortlist includes Marc Bernal (Barcelona), Luka Vuskovic (Brighton), Victor Froholdt (Porto), Rayan (Bournemouth), and Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica). German football is also strongly represented through Konstantinos Karetsas (Dortmund), Said El Mala (Cologne), Finn Jeltsch (Stuttgart), and Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich). These players have all demonstrated the consistency and quality required to be considered the future of the game.
Rounding out the 25-man group are Real Sociedad's Jon Martin, Roma's Rodrigo Mora, and Fiorentina's Franco Mastantuono. With such a high concentration of talent, the competition for the top spot remains fierce despite Cubarsi's status as the heavy favorite.
