Story perspectives

25 Young Stars Compete for 2025 Golden Boy Award

10/16/2025

Summary

Story summary

The 2025 Golden Boy nominees include 25 under-21 players from clubs, with Désiré Doué favored.
Lamine Yamal, last year's winner, is absent due to the rule against repeat winners.
Nine Premier League players are shortlisted, including Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Estevão (Chelsea), Jorrel Hato (Chelsea), Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham), and Archie Gray (Tottenham).
The winner will be decided by a panel of 50 journalists, with the announcement in November in Turin, Italy.

History

Historical Context

Established in 2003 by Tuttosport, the Golden Boy Award honors outstanding young footballers in Europe under 21. The inaugural winner was Rafael van der Vaart. With over 20 nominees from clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea, the award reflects a growing emphasis on youth development in football, as seen in the absence of last year's winner, Lamine Yamal, due to the rule against repeat winners.

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Story summary

The 2025 Golden Boy nominees include 25 under-21 players from clubs, with Désiré Doué favored.
Lamine Yamal, last year's winner, is absent due to the rule against repeat winners.
Nine Premier League players are shortlisted, including Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Estevão (Chelsea), Jorrel Hato (Chelsea), Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham), and Archie Gray (Tottenham).
The winner will be decided by a panel of 50 journalists, with the announcement in November in Turin, Italy.

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