The 25 finalists for the 2026 Golden Boy award were revealed on Wednesday, with some of the most exciting young talents in European football making the final shortlist.

The prestigious individual award is reserved for the best young players in European football and once again features a strong international field. Many of the nominees are regarded as future stars of the global game, making this year’s race particularly intriguing.

The award is decided by a jury of European journalists, alongside the popular Golden Boy Web vote. Last year, the prize was won by Paris Saint-Germain star Désiré Doué.

Spain leads the way with four Golden Boy 2026 finalists

The 25 finalists represent 14 different nations, with Spain leading the way with four players on the shortlist.

Germany, Brazil and France follow with three nominees each, while Greece and Argentina are represented by two players apiece.

The wide range of nationalities once again underlines the international appeal of the Golden Boy award, which has established itself as one of the leading individual honours for young footballers in Europe.

Premier League leads the way among the leagues

The Premier League is the best-represented competition among the 25 finalists, with eight players from English clubs in contention for the award.

Spain’s La Liga follows with six nominees, while the Bundesliga has five finalists. Three players from Serie A clubs complete the list.

The figures highlight the continued strength of Europe’s biggest leagues when it comes to developing and attracting some of the most promising young players in world football.

Barcelona are the most represented club

At club level, Barcelona have the most representatives among the 25 finalists, with three players making the shortlist.

The Catalan club are represented by Marc Bernal, Pau Cubarsí and Xavi Espart, underlining the strength of Barcelona’s renowned youth development system.

One of the most intriguing names on the list is Bayern Munich’s Lennart Karl, who is the youngest of the 25 finalists. The German midfielder was born on February 22, 2008, and is widely regarded as one of the most exciting prospects of his generation.

The 25 Golden Boy 2026 finalists

Here is the complete list of nominees for the 2026 Golden Boy award:

Finn Jeltsch – Stuttgart

Karim Alajbegovic – Juventus

Marc Bernal – Barcelona

Jon Martín – Real Sociedad

Saïd El Mala – Cologne

Konstantinos Karetsas – Borussia Dortmund

Gianluca Prestianni – Benfica

Junior Kroupi – Bournemouth

Endrick – Real Madrid

Estevao – Chelsea

Lennart Karl – Bayern Munich

Jorrel Hato – Chelsea

Rayan – Bournemouth

Myles Lewis-Skelly – Arsenal

Victor Froholdt – Porto

Luka Vuskovic – Brighton

Yan Diomande – Real Madrid

Warren Zaïre-Emery – PSG

Ayyoub Bouaddi – Manchester City

Pau Cubarsí – Barcelona

The five Wild Cards

The final five spots are filled by the Wild Card selections:

Caralampos Kostoulas – Brighton

Franco Mastantuono – Fiorentina

Joane Gadou – Borussia Dortmund

Rodrigo Mora – Roma

Xavi Espart – Barcelona

Who will succeed Désiré Doué?

With the 25 finalists now confirmed, attention turns to the race to succeed Désiré Doué as Golden Boy.

The shortlist includes several names who are already familiar to football fans around the world, including Endrick, Estevao, Warren Zaïre-Emery and Pau Cubarsí, while other nominees will have the opportunity to use the award as a springboard towards the highest level of the game.

With 14 nations and some of Europe’s biggest clubs represented, the Golden Boy 2026 race promises to be one of the most closely watched editions yet.