Golden Boy 2025 Candidates List: YAMAL NOT INCLUDED

The official list of candidates for the Golden Boy 2025 award has been announced, with Lamine Yamal conspicuously absent.

As per the annual tradition, Tuttosport has revealed the final 25 nominees for the Golden Boy 2025 award, which honors the best under-21 player competing in Europe's top national leagues.

Every year, football fans eagerly anticipate who will be the next young star to follow in the footsteps of previous winners like Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and most recently Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.

The forward born in 2007 won the award in 2024 but is ineligible this year due to the rule that players can only win once.

The shortlist was selected based on votes from 50 journalists across Europe, who chose the 20 most promising young players. Then, Tuttosport added 5 “Wild Card” entries as special picks by the publication.

Among the clubs represented, Real Madrid and PSG have the highest number of nominees, each with three players.

PSG's nominees are Desire Doue, Warren Zaire-Emery, and Senny Mayulu, while Real Madrid's candidates include Dean Huijsen, Arda Guler, and Franco Mastantuono.

Serie A is also represented with two players: Juventus’s Kenan Yildiz and Inter’s Francesco Pio Esposito, who was selected as one of the five special wild cards.

Meanwhile, Estevao, a Chelsea player, aims to become the third Brazilian ever to win the Golden Boy award, after being named among this year's promising candidates. The 18-year-old hopes to follow the footsteps of former Man Utd midfielder Anderson and ex-AC Milan forward Alexandre Pato, who won in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

Besides Estevao, two other notable contenders are Dortmund’s Bellingham and Real Madrid’s Mastantuono. After playing a key role in Sunderland’s promotion from the Championship to the Premier League last season, Bellingham moved to Dortmund in the summer transfer window and has appeared in all six Bundesliga matches this season. At 20 years old, he is striving to replicate the success of his older brother Jude Bellingham, the Golden Boy 2023 winner.

Franco Mastantuono is impressing in his debut season at Real Madrid. The young Argentine has scored once in seven La Liga appearances, helping coach Xabi Alonso’s team reach the top of the table.

Related Articles

PSG Plans a Shock Move for Lamine Yamal with a 'Crazy' Price Tag PSG is targeting Barcelona’s young star Lamine Yamal, with a transfer fee rumored to shake up the market, potentially leading to a sensational deal in the future. See More