The buzz for the 2025 Golden Boy Award is heating up, and along with it comes a 25-man shortlist brimming with exciting talent. Among the nominees, nine Premier League stars are in the mix, although it’s surprising to see Lamine Yamal notably absent.
So, what’s the Golden Boy Award all about? Conceptualized back in 2003 by the Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport, this award honors the standout young players (21 and under) from the previous calendar year. Unlike the more popular Ballon d’Or or the Kopa Trophy—which, by the way, Yamal clinched this year—the Golden Boy Award takes into account achievements from January of the current year instead of the entire season.
Speaking of Lamine Yamal, the young Barcelona sensation who just snagged the 2024 Golden Boy accolade is mysteriously missing from this year’s nominations. Can you believe it? At just 18, he’s still got plenty of time ahead in his career, but the award rules state that a player can only win once. So, when the ceremony rolls around later this year, we’ll be seeing a new name on the trophy.
Now, let’s dive into that Premier League representation. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur all have players on the shortlist. It’s pretty cool to see Arsenal’s Hale End talents, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, getting recognized along with their competitors, such as Spurs’ Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, and rising stars from Manchester City and Manchester United.
Interestingly, the last time a Premier League player took home this award was back in 2015, when Anthony Martial won it. It’s been a decade-long wait for English fans, and now the stakes are high.
Adding another layer of intrigue is Liverpool’s new arrival Giovanni Leoni, who’s one of five ‘wild card’ selections for the 2025 shortlist. He joins the likes of Jobe Bellingham, who, as you might remember, is the younger brother of Jude Bellingham—the recent Golden Boy winner.
Now, how does the voting work? It involves a slew of national publications, like The Times in the UK and Mundo Deportivo in Spain, all coming together to cast their votes. Each juror gets to pick five players in order of preference, earning points ranging from 10 for the top choice down to one for the fifth. Last year, Yamal was a standout favorite, nailing first place in almost every publication’s rankings—except for a couple that had different opinions.
Alright, without further ado, here’s the full lineup for the 2025 Golden Boy shortlist:
1. Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
2. Rodrigo Mora (Porto)
3. Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool)
4. Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter Milan)
5. Aleksandar Stankovic (Club Brugge)
6. Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)
7. Desire Doue (PSG)
8. Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid)
9. Kenan Yildiz (Juventus)
10. Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal)
11. Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG)
12. Arda Guler (Real Madrid)
13. Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid)
14. Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15. Jorrel Hato (Chelsea)
16. Geovany Quenda (Sporting CP)
17. Estevao (Chelsea)
18. Leny Yoro (Manchester United)
19. Senny Mayulu (PSG)
20. Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City)
21. Eliesse Ben Seghir (Bayer Leverkusen)
22. Victor Froholdt (Porto)
23. Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham)
24. Archie Gray (Tottenham)
25. Mamadou Sarr (Strasbourg)
And that’s the rundown! With a stellar mix of players from top clubs and young talent, it’s shaping up to be an exciting race for this year’s Golden Boy Award. Who do you think will snag the title? Let the debates begin!
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