Although the Barcelona star remains one of the most highly rated young players in world football, Lamine Yamal is not among the final candidates for the 2026 Golden Boy award.
With 25 of Europe’s leading under-21 talents in contention for the award, the final shortlist has been announced after being cut from an initial pool of 50 players.
Yamal’s absence was immediately noticeable given his performances in Barcelona and Spain, but his omission has nothing to do with his form or credentials.
A player cannot win the award more than once, and Yamal has already been awarded the Golden Boy title in 2024.
Previous success means he is automatically ineligible to compete for the award again.
Who is competing for the 2026 Golden Boy award?
The Golden Boy award was established in 2003 by the Italian newspaper Tuttosport and is awarded to the leading young footballer playing in Europe.
With Yamal failing to win for the second time, several of the continent’s most promising talents are vying to replace him on the award’s list of winners.
Barcelona are still represented by Pau Cubarsi, Marc Bernal and Xavi Espart, while Real Madrid are interested in Endric and Jan Diomande.
Premier League representation includes Chelsea duo Estevao and Jorrel Hato, Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly, Brighton pair Charalampos Kostoulas and Luka Vuskovic and Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi and Ryan.
Manchester City’s Ayoub Bouaddi also features alongside Bayern Munich’s Lennart Karl, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery and Borussia Dortmund duo Joshua Gado and Konstantinos Karetsas.
Rodrigo Mora, Franco Mastantuono, Finn Jeltsch, Kerim Alajbegovic, Said El Mala, Jon Martin, Gianluca Prestianni and Victor Froholdt are also among those competing for the prize.
Yamal is preparing for the Ballon d’Or award
Instead, Lamine Yamal will be hoping to land the coveted Ballon d’Or later this month.
It looks like the 19-year-old will compete with Bayern and England striker Harry Kane for the award.
Polls suggest the Spaniard is neck and neck with the former Tottenham man, but Yamal will be aiming to become the first Barcelona player since Lionel Messi to win the Ballon d’Or.