It is at Badia di Sant'Andrea, Genoa's brand new training center, that Tuttosport brought together the European press this Wednesday to unveil the list of 25 finalists for Golden Boy 2025. Presented by Patrick Vieira, this media day officially launched the home stretch before the ceremony scheduled for December in Turin. In an atmosphere combining analytical rigor and media fervor, the Turin daily recalled the philosophy of the trophy: to distinguish the best European player under the age of 21, at the crossroads of sporting performance, precocity and collective impact. Among the names revealed, we find an exceptional generation, from Warren Zaire-Emery to Désiré Doué, via Pau Cubarsí or Kenan Yildiz and, obviously, another equally prestigious candidate in the person of Lamine Yamal.
Like every year, the selection is based on the methodology of Golden Boy Indexdeveloped by Football Benchmark. This sophisticated statistical system is based on three pillars: sporting performance, playing time, and club strength. This data, standardized on a scale of 1 to 100, is then supplemented by a composite bonus taking into account minutes played in European competitions and performances with the national team. In 2025, this data approach continues to serve as a reference to establish a preliminary ranking before the final vote by journalists. On this purely statistical basis, Lamine Yamal is once again at the top of the hierarchy. His impact at FC Barcelona and his performances with La Roja make him, mathematically, the best young player in Europe for the second year in a row.
A rule dear to the eyes of the organization
However, despite this leading position and an exceptional season marked by a second place in the Ballon d'Or and a title of best young person of the Parisian ceremony, Lamine Yamal cannot win the Golden Boy 2025. The rules of the prize, established by Tuttosport since its creation in 2003, is clear: a player can only be crowned once. A simple but essential rule, designed to guarantee the diversity of the winners and celebrate a new generation each year. So, although the Spanish international is among the 25 finalists and maintains his first place in the Golden Boy Index, Yamal is automatically excluded from the title race. The index reflects the reality of performance, but it is the final vote of the jury, made up of journalists from major European dailies including French Football Weeklywhich confirms the winner.
This paradox can lead to confusion since seeing the name of the Catalan prodigy at the top of a ranking without him being able to win it is surprising. But this is precisely what makes the charm and particularity of Golden Boy, this mixture of statistical rigor and symbolic tradition. Yamal will therefore remain one of the most striking faces of this 2025 edition, without being able to lift the trophy for the second time. In the shadow of the Barcelona player, Désiré Doué, ranked second on the index, mechanically becomes the logical favorite to succeed the Blaugrana prodigy. The suspense remains intact before the ceremony in Turin, where the Golden Boy 2025 will write the continuation of a generational story which, decidedly, already belongs to Lamine Yamal and Désiré Doué.
