Who to succeed Désiré Doué? The Italian newspaper
Tuttosport has revealed a list of 100 possible candidates for the 2026 Golden Boy trophy, which rewards the best player under the age of 21 over the past season.
A Top 100 in which Ethan Mbappé appears in particular. Author of 3 goals and an assist in 22 appearances this season with Losc (all competitions), the 19-year-old attacking midfielder is not among the favorites.
On the other hand, a Frenchman could well be acclaimed again this year. This is Warren Zaire-Emery, who is ahead of FC Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi in the ranking established by Transfermarkt. If Lamine Yamal sits at the top, he cannot be elected again, having already won the trophy in 2024.
France and Ligue 1 well represented
Note that France is the best represented country, with 13 players, with 13 players in the Top 100. It is ahead of England (10), Spain (8). And Ligue 16 is not left out either with a total of 16 nominees. That’s just behind the Premier League (21) and tied with the Bundesliga (16).
The 16 Ligue 1 players in the race for the 2026 Golden Boy are as follows: Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG), Ayyoub Bouaddi (Losc), Endrick (OL), Senny Mayulu (PSG), Ibrahim Mbaye (PSG), Juma Bah (OGC Nice), Ethan Nwaneri (OM), L. Hogsberg (Strasbourg), Nhoa Sangui (Paris FC), Tylel Tati (Nantes), Ethan Mbappé (Losc), Khalis Merah (OL), Dario Fernández (PSG), Propser Peter (Angers), Aladji Bamba (AS Monaco) and Andrija Bulatovic (RC Lens).
