On Thursday in Rome, Tuttosport revealed the list of 25 nominees for the 2024 Golden Boy award, given to the best football player under 21, a prize that can only be won once. The winner will be announced on December 17th in Turin, where the new Golden Boy will take over from last year’s recipient, Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid.
Before Bellingham, other recent winners were Spanish players: Gavi in 2022 and Pedri in 2021. Other Spanish-born Golden Boy winners include Isco (2012) and Cesc Fabregas (2006).
This year, four Spaniards have been nominated: Lamine Yamal, Samu Omorodion, Pau Cubarsi, and Christhian Mosquera. Tuttosport also gave five “wild card” entries to Wilson Odobert (Tottenham), Andreas Schjelderup (Benfica), Endrick (Real Madrid), Salim Ben Seghir (Monaco), and Samuel Mbangula (Juventus).
The remaining nominees are based on the top 20 Football Benchmark rankings, including rising stars like Mathys Tel (Bayern), Arda Güler (Real Madrid), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG), and Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), among others.
Lamine Yamal, a Barcelona winger, is the clear favorite to win the 2024 Golden Boy award. His impressive year includes winning the European Championship with Spain at just 17 years old, a feat he achieved during the tournament itself. Yamal scored a spectacular goal against France in the semi-finals and was named the best young player of the European Championship. He also earned a spot on the Team of the Tournament, cementing his status as one of the brightest young talents in football.
If Yamal doesn’t win, it would be a big surprise considering his incredible performances throughout 2024.
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