Golden Boy 2026 ranking updated: Yamal in first place
The ranking of the main candidates for the 2026 Golden Boy award, given to the best young footballer in Europe, has been updated.
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal holds the first place in the list, which is compiled in partnership with Transfermarkt. However, since he has already won this award, he will not be considered for the 2026 prize.
Yamal leads the ranking but is not competing for the award
Lamine Yamal took the top spot in the new ranking.
Nevertheless, according to the Golden Boy regulations, a player who has previously won this award is not considered a contender for the prize in subsequent years.
Therefore, the main battle for 2026 is expected to take place among the players following Yamal.
Main favorites — Zaire-Emery and Cubarsí
PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery holds second place in the ranking.
He is followed by Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí. Currently, these two players are seen as the main favorites for the 2026 Golden Boy award.
Top 10 candidates
The top ten in the 2026 Golden Boy ranking are as follows:
Lamine Yamal — Barcelona;
Warren Zaire-Emery — PSG;
Pau Cubarsí — Barcelona;
Yann Diomandé — RB Leipzig;
Ayyoub Bouaddi — Lille;
Estevão Willian — Chelsea;
Viktor Froholdt — Porto;
Lennart Karl — Bayern Munich;
Endrick — Real Madrid;
Ryan — Bournemouth.
The 2025 award went to Doué
Recall that the 2025 Golden Boy award was presented to PSG forward Désiré Doué.
The 2026 ranking once again shows that a new generation of stars is emerging in Europe. Now the main intrigue is: if Yamal is excluded, will the award go to Zaire-Emery or Cubarsí?
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