Golden Boy 2024: Lamine Yamal Tops the Rankings of Europe’s Best Young Talent

The Golden Boy is an annual football award presented by the journalists of top publications to the best-performing youngster in Europe in a calendar year. The candidates must be under the age of 21 and should play in Europe’s top-tier leagues. Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba, Pedri, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham are among the notable previous winners. This year, there is no shortage of talented prospects who are running for the prize after capturing everyone’s attention. Let’s take a look at the Power Rankings for the Golden Boy 2024.

Ranking the Golden Boy 2024 nominees

10. Rico Lewis

Rico Lewis burst onto the scenes last season with Man City, becoming a key member of Pep Guardiola’s squad. The 20-year-old Cityzens academy product featured in 27 games in all competitions, racking up 2 goals and 4 assists, as well as playing a role in City’s Premier League triumph. His impressive performances also led to his senior team debut with England last year. Lewis is highly flexible as he can play as a full-back on both the flanks and anywhere across the midfield.

9. Mathys Tel

Mathys Tel has been part of Bayern Munich’s set-up since 2022 and though he has failed to nail down a regular starting berth, his performances have caught the attention whenever he is on the pitch. The 19-year-old racked up an impressive tally of 10 goals and 6 assists for Bayern in the 2023/24 season while doing it with limited opportunities.

8. Pau Cubarsi

The rise of Barcelona prospect Pau Cubarsi has been phenomenal as he went from an unknown commodity to one of the hottest prospects in the world in the space of less than a year. His first impression was extraordinary after bagging a Man of the Match award against Napoli in the Champions League round of 16 second leg earlier this year and he hasn’t looked back ever since then, establishing himself as a key cog in the defence. The 17-year-old’s performances earned him a place in Spain’s squad for Euro 2024, where he played a pivotal role in La Roja crowning as the champions. This season, Cubarsi has been hitting new levels under manager Hansi Flick, producing remarkable performances against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

7. Savio

Savio’s outstanding form at Girona last season earned him a move to Manchester City in the summer of 2024. The Brazilian was one of the breakout stars in La Liga last term, racking up 9 goals and 10 assists for Girona, who finished third in the table. He has already become a regular for Cityzens this season, featuring in 16 games in all competitions with 6 assists to his name. Making his debut with the Brazilian senior team in March, Savio took part in the Copa Americ 2024, having already earned 11 caps.

6. Aleksandar Pavlovic

After impressing at the Bayern Munich’s youth ranks, Aleksandar Pavlovic made a stunning breakthrough with the first team last season. Despite the Bavarians losing the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen, the 20-year-old midfielder’s performances were excellent, making 22 appearances in all competitions. Unfortunately, he missed the Euro 2024 with the German national team because of illness.

5. Alejandro Garnacho

Alejandro Garnacho rose to prominence following a stellar breakout campaign in the 2023/24 season. The 20-year-old winger established himself as a prominent member of United’s attack with a string of consistent performances, culminating in the FA Cup victory, where he scored against Manchester City in the final. After being part of Argentina’s 2024 Copa America triumph, Garnacho has continued his fine run with Man Utd this term.

4. Joao Neves

Joao Neves grabbed the headlines following his big-money transfer from Benfica to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer. Considered one of the best prospects to emerge from Benfica’s reputed academy, the 20-year-old grew into one of the best midfielders in the Portuguese top-flight last season, eventually gaining a place in the league’s team of the year. Neves has hit the ground running at PSG, amassing 2 goals and 6 assists in 17 games this season.

3. Kobbie Mainoo

Kobbie Mainoo’s coming of age was one of the highlights of the Premier League and his unbelievable performances saw him placed among the best midfielders in the English top flight. The 19-year-old rounded off an eye-catching campaign with a sublime performance in the FA Cup final against Manchester City, where he scored a goal to lead United to the title. It was followed by a runners-up medal with the England national team at Euro 2024.

2. Warren Zaire-Emery

PSG have produced an array of world-class talents over the years, but few have had a greater impact than the prodigious Warren Zaire-Emery. Becoming an indisputable starter for Les Parisiens at the age of 17  while producing consistent performances in more than 40 games last season is a testimony to his excellence. Zaire-Emery has strengthened his status as one of the hottest prospects in the world and a future superstar. He was also part of the France squad that reached the semi-finals at Euro 2024.

1. Lamine Yamal

Talking about the hottest sensation in the world at present, Lamine Yamal is arguably cut above the rest. Rising from the famed Barcelona academy La Masia, Yamal took giant strides with the senior team last season at the age of 16, producing sensational performances, which were considered premature for his age. He further went on to make headlines with a spell-binding campaign at Euro 2024,  playing a pivotal role in Spain lifting the title. He has become unstoppable for Barca under Hansi Flick this season, wreaking havoc on the defenders with his wizardry. By doing so, he has gone from the hottest young talent to one of the best players in the world.

Golden Boy 2024 Winner – Lamine Yamal

Lamine Yamal has been named the Golden Boy 2024, beating the likes of his compatriot and Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsi, Warren Zaire-Emery and Alejandro Garnacho for the prize. Having won the Kopa Trophy last month – awarded to the best young talent in the world, the 17-year-old has now added another feather in his cap. The Spaniard has also become the third Barcelona player to receive the Golden Boy award in the last four years following Pedri (2021) and Gavi (2022).

Yamal enjoyed a stellar breakout season with Barca last term, featuring in 50 games while netting 7 goals and 9 assists. He went on to make his mark with the Spanish national team, who he helped win the Euro 2024 whilst being named the best young player of the tournament. He also broke several records in the process; his strike against France in the semi-finals made him the youngest-ever scorer in Euro history as well as the youngest player to lift the title. 

He has evolved into a more dangerous player for Barca under Hansi Flick this season, scoring 6 goals and 8 assists in 16 games. His strike in the 4-0 win against Real Madrid also saw him create a new record for the youngest player ever to score in El Clasico. 

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