Lamine Yamal seems destined to turn everything he does and every achievement he earns into records and history. The teenage sensation from Barcelona, who has already etched his name in several milestones on the field and through awards, has now set another record. Yamal has become the youngest player to win the ‘Golden Boy’ award.
The ‘Golden Boy’ award is typically reserved for players under 21, but no one as young as Yamal—at just 17 years and four months—has ever claimed it before. Out of a total of 500 points determined by the jury’s votes, Yamal secured a staggering 488.
The award is presented by the Italian sports media outlet Tuttosport, with votes cast by representatives from Europe’s leading sports media, including Bild from Germany, Marca and Mundo Deportivo from Spain, The Times from England, L’Équipe from France, A Bola from Portugal, and Blick from Switzerland.
In the voting process, each jury member selects five players. The top choice receives 10 points, the second gets 7 points, the third 5 points, the fourth 3 points, and the fifth 1 point. Tuttosport revealed that representatives from 50 European media outlets participated in this year’s voting. With most jurors placing Yamal at the top, he amassed 488 points out of the possible 500 to win the ‘Golden Boy’ award.
Yamal’s competitors for this year’s award included Alejandro Garnacho, Pau Cubarsi, Kobbie Mainoo, Savinho, Endrick, and Arda Güler. He is the fourth player from Barcelona and Spain to win the ‘Golden Boy.’ Barcelona’s first winner was Lionel Messi in 2005, while Spain’s first was Cesc Fàbregas in 2006.
Rising through Barcelona’s famed academy, Yamal had a stellar 2024. He won the UEFA Euro with Spain and was named the tournament’s best young player. Wearing the Barcelona jersey, he set records as the youngest player to score in La Liga, debut in El Clásico, and feature in the Champions League. Before being sidelined with an injury, he scored six goals in 16 matches this season.
Before the ‘Golden Boy’ honor, Yamal also won another prestigious accolade for under-21 players—the Kopa Trophy
