Lamine Yamal became the main candidate for the Golden Boy award

The list of main contenders for the prestigious Golden Boy award, given to Europe’s most talented young footballer, has been announced for 2026, Zamin.uz reports.

Prepared in collaboration with the Transfermarkt portal, the ranking sees Barcelona’s rising star Lamine Yamal leading the way as expected. However, according to the award’s regulations, a player who has previously won the trophy is ineligible in subsequent years.

Although Yamal currently holds the top position, he will not be competing for the award in 2026. Based on the current standings, the main race is expected to unfold among the players following him.

Second place is held by Warren Zaïre-Emery, the talented midfielder of Paris Saint-Germain, while the strong trio is completed by Pau Cubarsi, Barcelona’s promising defender.

Experts believe these two young talents will be the main contenders for the prestigious award next year. According to One.uz, several other gifted youngsters have also made it into the top ten of the 2026 ranking.

Among them are Yan Couto of Leipzig, Ayubu Bukaddi of Lille, Estevão Willian, who is expected to join Chelsea, and Viktor Gyökeres, who defends the honour of Porto. Additionally, Bayern’s young talent Lennart Karl, Real Madrid’s forward Endrick, and Bournemouth’s Rayan have also been recognised as strong candidates.

It is worth noting that, according to the 2025 results, the award was won by Paris Saint-Germain’s striker Désiré Doué. The 2026 nominee list highlights the growing influence of a new generation of players in European football.

Now, all fans and experts are asking one question: with Yamal out of the race, will the main prize go to Zaïre-Emery or will Cubarsi emerge victorious? The final outcome will directly impact the players’ trajectories in the upcoming season.