Why was Lamine Yamal left out of the final shortlist for the 2026 Golden Boy award?
Not because of his level
The battle for the European "Golden Boy" award for 2026 has heated up after today's reveal of the final 25 players under the age of 21, whittled down from an initial list of 50 talents. The biggest shock? The absence of Barcelona star Lamine Yamal.
Italian newspaper "Tuttosport" launched the award in 2003, handing it to the best player under 21 in European competition. It remains one of the most prestigious individual honours charting the rise of the continent's young talents.
The final list included: "Charalampos Kostoulas (Greece, Brighton), Rodrigo Mora (Portugal, Roma), Guéla Doué... Joan Garcia... Joshua Gado (France, Borussia Dortmund), Xavi Espart (Spain, Barcelona), Franco Mastantuono (Argentina, Fiorentina), Finn Jeltsch (Germany, Stuttgart), Kerim Alajbegovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Juventus)".
"Said El Mala (Germany, Cologne), Marc Bernal (Spain, Barcelona), Jon Martin (Spain, Real Sociedad), Konstantinos Karetsas (Greece, Borussia Dortmund), Endrick (Brazil, Real Madrid), Gianluca Prestianni (Argentina, Benfica), Estevao (Brazil, Chelsea), Junior Kroupi (France, Bournemouth), Lennart Karl (Germany, Bayern Munich)".
"Myles Lewis-Skelly (England, Arsenal), Jorrel Hato (Netherlands, Chelsea), Victor Froholdt (Denmark, Porto), Rayan (Brazil, Bournemouth), Luka Vuskovic (Croatia, Brighton), Ayoub Bouaddi (Morocco, Manchester City), Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast, Real Madrid), Pau Cubarsi (Spain, Barcelona), and Warren Zaire-Emery (France, Paris Saint-Germain)".
Why was Lamine Yamal absent?
Yamal's omission from the 25 nominees stunned many, given his standing as one of the most prominent talents in world football.
The rules of the "Golden Boy" award explain the Barcelona star's exclusion. No player can win it more than once, and Yamal was crowned back in 2024.
That ruling automatically takes him out of the 2026 race, even as he keeps battling for the top of the global stage of young talents.
