Why Lamine Yamal Isn’t Nominated for 2026 Golden Boy Award
The Golden Boy Award recognizes the best player competing in European leagues under the age of 21, but 19-year-old star Lamine Yamal won’t be taking home the prestigious award in 2026.
The Barcelona and Spain teenager is widely considered one of the best, if not the outright best, players in the world, despite his tender age. Yamal has taken over the sport over the past three years, breaking countless records, lifting major trophies and collecting a number of individual awards.
Since Italian newspaper Tuttosport conceived the award back in 2003, the Golden Boy Award has become a prestigious honor reserved for the very best young talents in the sport.
But despite being arguably the greatest teenager in soccer history, Yamal’s name didn’t appear in the freshly announced list of 2026 Golden Boy nominees. Although it might be surprising on the surface, there’s a simple reason for his omission.
Why Lamine Yamal Can’t Win 2026 Golden Boy Award
Yamal isn’t nominated for the 2026 Golden Boy Award because he already won the prestigious prize as a 17-year-old in 2024—becoming the youngest Golden Boy winner in history.
Although there is no written rule that states there cannot be repeat winners, the Golden Boy website explains that “this is customary, indeed convention” for there not to be repeat winners, even if they meet the age limit and compete in European leagues.
Yamal’s teammate, Pau Cubarsí, is the favorite to win the 2026 award after also being named the Best Young Player of the 2026 World Cup. If Cubarsí takes home the award, Barcelona and Spain talents will have won the prize in four of the last six years.
Full List of Golden Boy Award Winners
| Year | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Désiré Doué | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 2024 | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona |
| 2023 | Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid |
| 2022 | Gavi | Barcelona |
| 2021 | Pedri | Barcelona |
| 2020 | Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund |
| 2019 | João Félix | Benfica/Atlético Madrid |
| 2018 | Matthijs de Ligt | Ajax |
| 2017 | Kylian Mbappé | Monaco/PSG |
| 2016 | Renato Sanches | Benfica/Bayern Munich |
| 2015 | Anthony Martial | Monaco/Man Utd |
| 2014 | Raheem Sterling | Liverpool |
| 2013 | Paul Pogba | Juventus |
| 2012 | Isco | Málaga |
| 2011 | Mario Götze | Borussia Dortmund |
| 2010 | Mario Balotelli | Inter Milan |
| 2009 | Alexandre Pato | AC Milan |
| 2008 | Anderson | Manchester United |
| 2007 | Sergio Agüero | Atlético Madrid |
| 2006 | Cesc Fàbregas | Arsenal |
| 2005 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona |
| 2004 | Wayne Rooney | Everton/Man Utd |
| 2003 | Rafael van der Vaart | Ajax |
Can Lamine Yamal Win 2026 Kopa Trophy?
The Kopa Trophy is the Ballon d’Or version of the Golden Boy Award. The prize is given to the best U–21 player on the planet—not only Europe—and unlike the Golden Boy, repeat winners are allowed, as Yamal can attest too.
Last year Yamal became the first player in history to win the Kopa Trophy multiple times, receiving the award for the second year in a row after his maiden win in 2024. The reigning back-to-back winner is back in the list of nominees and could make it three wins in a row in 2026.
Although winning the Kopa Trophy for the third time would be a major feat, Yamal has a bigger prize in his sights. The teenager has repeatedly campaigned to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or award in recent months and has a compelling case for it.
Given the voting rules, there’s a strong chance Yamal becomes the first player in history to win the Kopa Trophy and the Ballon d’Or award on the same night.
