The annual celebration of the best U-21 players in Europe is once again upon us, as the Golden Boy 2026 nominee list has been revealed by Italian publication Tuttosport.
Global scouting networks and supporters will keep their eyes peeled on the list, which includes the world's best youngsters, as voting will take place ahead of the announcement of the award winner.
Leading the 25-man shortlist is Barcelona and Spain sensation Pau Cubarsi, and he is joined by Chelsea's Estevao and Jorrel Hato, as well as Real Madrid's record signing Yan Diomande.
The English Premier League is well represented, with eight players selected from various clubs in England's top-flight.
France star Desire Doue won the award last year after Lamine Yamal won it in 2024.
Brilliant Cubarsi Leads Europe's Top 25
Tuttosport released their 25-man shortlist, which includes 20 automatic qualifiers and five editorial wildcard selections made by the publication.
The award officially recognizes the top Under-21 male players competing across UEFA’s top-tier leagues.
The nominees were selected via the algorithmic Golden Boy Index, which takes into account playing time, match performance, and team stability.
Barcelona defender Cubarsi enters as the highest-ranked contender following an exceptional 12 months for club and country.
Still only 19, he was named as the Young Player of the Tournament as Spain won the FIFA World Cup this summer, having also featured prominently for Barcelona as they won La Liga.
The youngster is strongly tipped to emerge as the winner, having excelled over the last 12 months, more than ever before.
Other high-profile names include Real Madrid and Cote d'Ivoire star Diomande and his teammate Endrick, who lit up the French league in half a season with Olympique Lyonnais. On loan at Fiorentina from Real Madrid, Franco Mastantuono was also included in the list.
Resurgent Arsenal midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly has also made the shortlist after a strong ending to the year, while Chelsea's Estevao and Hato enjoyed fine debut campaigns for the Blues last term.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery represents the European champions, while Manchester City's Ayyoub Bouaddi also made the shortlist.
Premier League Dominance: Eight Top-Flight Stars Headline Shortlist
Often regarded as the prime destination for the best players, the English Premier League accounts for nearly a third of the entire 2026 shortlist with eight nominated players.
Bournemouth are well represented in the shortlist, with forwards Rayan and Eli Junior Kroupi included after each impressing in the 2025-26 season.
Brighton & Hove Albion also have two representatives, Luka Vuskovic and Charalampos Kostoulas, in the shortlist.
A panel of 50 sports journalists across Europe will cast votes ahead of the official award ceremony in November.
2026 Golden Boy Nominee List
- Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona/Spain)
- Marc Bernal (Barcelona/Spain)
- Xavi Espart (Barcelona/Spain)
- Yan Diomande (Real Madrid/Cote d'Ivoire)
- Endrick (Real Madrid/Brazil)
- Jon Martin (Real Sociedad/Spain)
- Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal/England)
- Estevao (Chelsea/Brazil)
- Jorrel Hato (Chelsea/Netherlands)
- Rayan (Bournemouth/Brazil)
- Eli Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth/France)
- Charalampos Kostoulas (Brighton & Hove Albion/Greece)
- Luka Vuskovic (Brighton & Hove Albion/Croatia)
- Ayyoub Bouaddi (Manchester City/Morocco)
- Konstantinos Karetsas (Borussia Dortmund/Greece)
- Joane Gadou (Borussia Dortmund/France)
- Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich/Germany)
- Finn Jeltsch (VfB Stuttgart/Germany)
- Said El Mala (Köln/Germany)
- Rodrigo Mora (AS Roma/Portugal)
- Kerim Alajbegovic (Juventus/Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Franco Mastantuono (Fiorentina/Argentina)
- Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain/France)
- Gianluca Prestianni (Benfica/Argentina)
- Victor Froholdt (FC Porto/Denmark).
