The media day organized this Wednesday at the Badia di Sant'Andrea, Genoa's brand new training center, marked a new stage in the history of the Golden Boy, the trophy rewarding the best European player under the age of 21. Under the leadership of Patrick Vieira, master of ceremonies of the event imagined by Tuttosportjournalists, recruiters, and representatives of European clubs gathered to discover the 25 finalists for the 2025 edition. This exceptional setting, between modernity and heritage, set the tone for a day marked by youth, innovation and recognition of the raw talent which is already shaping the football of tomorrow. At the heart of this selection, the methodology of Golden Boy Index developed by Football Benchmark once again served as a scientific compass to decide between the hundred best young talents on the continent. The approach is based on three pillars: sporting performance, playing time, and club strength, to which is added a composite bonus taking into account international and European performances.
Each player receives a score out of 100 resulting from a weighted calculation between his statistics, his importance in the squad and the competitive level of his environment. The system values ​​consistency as much as excellence: a young starter in a major club will thus be rated higher than a brilliant replacement in a weaker context. The stated objective is clear: to make the Golden Boy prize list as objective and transparent as possible. But the index, however precise it may be, does not decide alone. As every year, it is the votes of journalists from major European media which will determine Lamine Yamal's successor. The index Football Benchmark provides the basis for analysis, but the final judgment belongs to the specialized press, guarantor of a human perspective on statistical data. This mix of science and subjectivity makes the Golden Boy unique, the symbol of modern football where data guides without replacing passion.
Désiré Doué big favorite
As such, it is important to remember that Lamine Yamal, 2024 winner and current number 1 in the ranking Golden Boy Indexcannot win the trophy twice. According to the regulations of Tuttosporta player already crowned is automatically excluded from the final vote, even if he remains eligible for statistical analysis. This particular situation creates an unprecedented reading of the hierarchy: the Frenchman DĂ©sirĂ© DouĂ© (Paris Saint-Germain), ranked second out of 100, finds himself effective leader in the race for Golden Boy 2025. Behind him, a golden generation from the largest European centers is vying to succeed Lamine Yamal, between English rigor, Iberian creativity and the explosion of talent from France. The official list unveiled in Genoa highlights a clever balance between confirmed promises and dazzling revelations. FC Barcelona, ​​faithful to its training tradition, places a representative: Pau CubarsĂ, already essential in La Liga. PSG, stronger than ever in training young talents, is represented by DĂ©sirĂ© DouĂ©, Warren Zaire-Emery and Senny Mayulu. England, cradle of the new post-Bellingham generation, fields an impressive armada with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham), as well as Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City).
Real Madrid, for its part, maintains its reputation as a wonder machine with Arda GĂĽler, Dean Huijsen and Franco Mastantuono, while Juventus is counting on Kenan Yildiz to shine its future. The rest of the list reflects the diversity and vitality of European football. We find Jorell Hato (Ajax Amsterdam), Geovany Quenda (Sporting CP), Victor Froholdt (Porto), Rodrigo Mora (Porto), Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Mamadou Sarr (RC Strasbourg), Leny Yoro (Manchester United), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Bayer Leverkusen), EstĂŞvĂŁo (Chelsea), Aleksandar Stankovic (Club Brugge) and Jobe Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund). The race is now on. The 25 finalists began their sprint towards the prestigious trophy, a symbol of talent and precocity in European football. In a few weeks, the jury made up of journalists from the biggest continental media will decide between this golden generation. The Golden Boy 2025 award ceremony will be held, as every year, in Turin, at the beginning of December, to crown the successor of Lamine Yamal and write a new chapter in the history of the prize initiated by Tuttosport.
The 25 finalists
- Pau Cubarsi (FC Barcelona)
- Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal)
- Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Dean Huijsen (Real Madrid)
- Kenan Yildiz (Juventus)
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
- Geovany Quenda (Sporting CP)
- Jorell Hato (Ajax Amsterdam)
- Archie Gray (Tottenham)
- Eliesse Ben Seghir (Bayer Leverkusen)
- Leny Yoro (Manchester United)
- Arda Guler (Real Madrid)
- Victor Froholdt (Porto)
- Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham)
- Mamadou Sarr (RC Strasbourg)
- Senny Mayulu (Paris Saint-Germain)
- EstĂŞvĂŁo (Chelsea)
- Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid)
- Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City)
- Jobe Bellingham (Dortmund, wild card)
- Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter, wild card)
- Alesksanar Stankovic (Club Bruges, wild card)
- Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool, wild card)
- Rodrigo Mora (Porto, wild card)
