Where Past Winners Are Now and Who Could Win in 2025

The Golden Boy award will quickly crown one other future king of world soccer.

However who will be a part of previous winners like Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and Kylian Mbappe among the many subsequent era of Golden Boys? What’s the award all about? And what occurred to the previous winners who’ve since grown up?

FootballBlog.co.uk solutions these questions beneath.

What’s the Golden Boy award?

The Golden Boy award was created in 2003 by Italian newspaper Tuttosport. It’s voted for by journalists throughout Europe, together with representatives from retailers corresponding to L’Equipe, Marca, The Occasions, and Bild.

The award recognises the most effective under-21 footballer enjoying in one among Europe’s prime leagues throughout a calendar yr.

It was initially talked about as a possible springboard towards future Ballon d’Or success. Nevertheless, thus far Lionel Messi is the one Golden Boy winner to go on and declare that title — though 2024 Golden Boy Lamine Yamal was simply pipped to the 2025 Ballon d’Or by Ousmane Dembele.

Who’s eligible for the Golden Boy award?

To be thought-about, gamers have to be below the age of 21 on January 1 of the award yr and play for a membership in one of many prime European leagues. Performances throughout home and worldwide competitions are taken into consideration.

Crucially, a participant can’t win the Golden Boy award twice. That’s the reason 2024 winner Lamine Yamal isn’t eligible to defend his title in 2025.

Which gamers have been nominated for the 2025 Golden Boy award?

9 Premier League gamers have been nominated for the 2025 Golden Boy award.

They’re Arsenal duo Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, Chelsea pair Estevao and Jorrel Hato, Manchester United defender Leny Yoro, Liverpool’s Giovanni Leoni, Manchester Metropolis full-back Nico O’Reilly and Tottenham midfielders Lucas Bergvall and Archie Grey.

These 9 are joined by main skills from Paris Saint-Germain, Actual Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Sporting CP, whereas Borussia Dortmund’s Jobe Bellingham (pictured above) options among the many wildcard entries.

The primary shortlist consists of 20 official nominees chosen by Tuttosport and its media companions. The extra 5 gamers are classed as wildcards — additional alternatives exterior the core shortlist, chosen after standout breakthroughs or speedy improvement.

Wildcards are eligible to win the award however begin exterior the preliminary pool of favourites.

4 gamers on the 25-boy shortlist additionally function in our latest listing of 5 Champions League wonderkids to observe this season.

Full listing of 2025 Golden Boy award nominees

Participant
Membership
Class

Pau Cubarsi
Barcelona
Nominee

Want Doue
PSG
Nominee

Kenan Yildiz
Juventus
Nominee

Myles Lewis-Skelly
Arsenal
Nominee

Warren Zaire-Emery
PSG
Nominee

Senny Mayulu
PSG
Nominee

Arda Guler
Actual Madrid
Nominee

Franco Mastantuono
Actual Madrid
Nominee

Dean Huijsen
Actual Madrid
Nominee

Ethan Nwaneri
Arsenal
Nominee

Estevao
Chelsea
Nominee

Geovany Quenda
Sporting
Nominee

Victor Froholdt
Porto
Nominee

Nico O’Reilly
Man Metropolis
Nominee

Eliesse Ben Seghir
Leverkusen
Nominee

Leny Yoro
Man United
Nominee

Lucas Bergvall
Tottenham
Nominee

Archie Grey
Tottenham
Nominee

Mamadou Sarr
Strasbourg
Nominee

Jorrel Hato
Chelsea
Nominee

Jobe Bellingham
Dortmund
Wildcard

Francesco Pio Esposito
Inter
Wildcard

Giovanni Leoni
Liverpool
Wildcard

Aleksandar Stankovic
Membership Bruges
Wildcard

Rodrigo Mora
Porto
Wildcard

Which gamers have gained the Golden Boy award up to now?

The listing of former Golden Boy winners options some big names. Rafael van der Vaart was the primary winner again in 2003, adopted by Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney within the subsequent two years.

Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Aguero, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal are additionally among the many well-known former winners. The desk beneath lists all earlier winners, together with their present standing.

The place are the Golden Boy winners now?

Yr Winner Age Now Retired? Present Membership Trophies 2003 Rafael van der Vaart 42 Sure n/a 6 2004 Wayne Rooney 39 Sure n/a 16 2005 Lionel Messi 38 No Inter Miami 45 2006 Cesc Fabregas 38 Sure n/a 16 2007 Sergio Aguero 37 Sure n/a 17 2008 Anderson 37 Sure n/a 16 2009 Alexandre Pato 36 Sure n/a 9 2010 Mario Balotelli 35 No n/a 8 2011 Mario Gotze 33 No Frankfurt 15 2012 Isco 33 No Actual Betis 18 2013 Paul Pogba 32 No Monaco 12 2014 Raheem Sterling 30 No Chelsea 11 2015 Anthony Martial 29 No Monterrey 5 2016 Renato Sanches 28 No Panathinaikos 10 2017 Kylian Mbappe 26 No Actual Madrid 20 2018 Matthijs de Ligt 26 No Man United 7 2019 Joao Felix 25 No Al-Nassr 5 2020 Erling Haaland 25 No Man Metropolis 9 2021 Pedri 22 No Barcelona 8 2022 Gavi 21 No Barcelona 6 2023 Jude Bellingham 22 No Actual Madrid 6 2024 Lamine Yamal 18 No Barcelona 5

Because the Golden Boy award was established greater than 20 years in the past, the early winners are boys no extra. A number of of them have already retired, together with Rafael van der Vaart, Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas, Alexandre Pato, Anderson and Sergio Aguero.

Most notable of these nonetheless enjoying is 2005 winner Lionel Messi, who many take into account to be the best footballer of all time. Messi has gained 45 main trophies throughout his profession with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina, together with 4 Champions Leagues and the 2022 World Cup.

Different Golden Boy recipients who went on to elevate the World Cup embrace Cesc Fabregas, Mario Gotze, Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe.

The newer winners — corresponding to Pedri, Gavi, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal — will all be hoping to observe of their footsteps subsequent summer season. Pedri, Gavi and Yamal are anticipated to characterize Spain on the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Spain had been lately given an 18.18% chance of successful the World Cup, whereas Bellingham’s England got a 12.5% probability.