# Golden Boy (award)

The Golden Boy is an award established by Tuttosport that is given by sports journalists to a young male footballer playing in Europe perceived to have been the most impressive during a calendar year (two halves to two separate seasons). All nominees must be under the age of 21 and play in a European nation's top tier. Apart from the main award, an additional one, Golden Boy Web, is decided by online users.

## Selection

The prize was established by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport in 2003. Newspapers that now participate in voting include Bild (Germany), Blick (Switzerland), A Bola (Portugal), l'Équipe (France), France Football (France), Marca (Spain), Mundo Deportivo (Spain), Ta Nea (Greece), Sport Express (Russia), De Telegraaf (Netherlands), and The Times (United Kingdom). Each juror is allowed to nominate five players, the juror will allocate 10 points to the player that they perceive as the most impressive, 7 for second, 5 third, 3 fourth, and 1 point for fifth most impressive.

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Club(s) | Position | Birth year |
| 2003 | Rafael van der Vaart | Ajax | Midfielder | 1983 |
| 2004 | Wayne Rooney | Everton Manchester United | Forward | 1985 |
| 2005 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | Forward | 1987 |
| 2006 | Cesc Fàbregas | Arsenal | Midfielder | 1987 |
| 2007 | Sergio Agüero | Atlético Madrid | Forward | 1988 |
| 2008 | Anderson | Manchester United | Midfielder | 1988 |
| 2009 | Alexandre Pato | Milan | Forward | 1989 |
| 2010 | Mario Balotelli | Inter Milan Manchester City | Forward | 1990 |
| 2011 | Mario Götze | Borussia Dortmund | Midfielder | 1992 |
| 2012 | Isco | Málaga | Midfielder | 1992 |
| 2013 | Paul Pogba | Juventus | Midfielder | 1993 |
| 2014 | Raheem Sterling | Liverpool | Forward | 1994 |
| 2015 | Anthony Martial | Monaco Manchester United | Forward | 1995 |
| 2016 | Renato Sanches | Benfica Bayern Munich | Midfielder | 1997 |
| 2017 | Kylian Mbappé | Monaco Paris Saint-Germain | Forward | 1998 |
| 2018 | Matthijs de Ligt | Ajax | Defender | 1999 |
| 2019 | João Félix | Benfica Atlético Madrid | Forward | 1999 |
| 2020 | Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund | Forward | 2000 |
| 2021 | Pedri | Barcelona | Midfielder | 2002 |
| 2022 | Gavi | Barcelona | Midfielder | 2004 |
| 2023 | Jude Bellingham | Borussia Dortmund Real Madrid | Midfielder | 2003 |
| 2024 | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | Forward | 2007 |

## Awards won by position

    As of 27 November
| Position | Win(s) |
| Forward | 11 |
| Midfielder | 10 |
| Defender | 1 |

## Awards won by nationality

    As of 27 November
| Country | Win(s) | Year(s) |
| Spain | 5 | 2006, 2012, 2021, 2022, 2024 |
| England | 3 | 2004, 2014, 2023 |
| France | 3 | 2013, 2015, 2017 |
| Netherlands | 2 | 2003, 2018 |
| Argentina | 2 | 2005, 2007 |
| Brazil | 2 | 2008, 2009 |
| Portugal | 2 | 2016, 2019 |
| Italy | 1 | 2010 |
| Germany | 1 | 2011 |
| Norway | 1 | 2020 |

## Awards won by club

    As of 27 November 2024
Year in bold have shared the win with other clubs.
| Club | Win(s) | Year(s) |
| Barcelona | 4 | 2005, 2021, 2022, 2024 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 3 | 2011, 2020, 2023 |
| Manchester United | 3 | 2004, 2008, 2015 |
| Ajax | 2 | 2003, 2018 |
| Atlético Madrid | 2 | 2007, 2019 |
| Monaco | 2 | 2015, 2017 |
| Benfica | 2 | 2016, 2019 |
| Everton | 1 | 2004 |
| Arsenal | 1 | 2006 |
| Milan | 1 | 2009 |
| Manchester City | 1 | 2010 |
| Inter Milan | 1 | 2010 |
| Málaga | 1 | 2012 |
| Juventus | 1 | 2013 |
| Liverpool | 1 | 2014 |
| Bayern Munich | 1 | 2016 |
| Paris Saint-Germain | 1 | 2017 |
| Real Madrid | 1 | 2023 |