Most football fans will have heard of the Ballon d’Or, the iconic trophy that is handed to the player judged to have been the best in the world over the prior year.
But not many know about the Golden Boy award, which honours the finest talent under the age of 21.
It could perhaps be considered the young Ballon d’Or, so it’s pleasing that Chelsea have two nominees in 2026: Estevao and Jorrel Hato.
It’s particularly noteworthy given that many of the former Golden Boy award winners have gone on to become world class players, which suggests that Blues fans can look to a very bright future for the duo.
What Is the Golden Boy Award?
The Golden Boy was devised by Italian newspaper Tuttosport and first handed out in 2003.
It can be considered a younger sibling of the Ballon d’Or, which was also founded by a media publication – France Football – almost seven decades ago.
Other prominent newspapers get a vote in the Golden Boy ballot, including France Football, L’Equipe, Marca and The Times in England. Jurors are able to nominate five players for the award, ranking them from first (that pick gets ten points) down to fifth (one point).
The player with the most points is then crowned as the winner.
All players aged under 21 that play in one of European football’s top-tier leagues can be nominated, with the judges instructed to consider performances during the first half of the current season and the latter half of the previous campaign – making up a full calendar year.
In addition to the main Golden Boy Award, there’s an online version – known snappily as the Golden Boy Web – that fans can vote on.
Unlike the Ballon d’Or, the rules of the Golden Boy stipulate that no single player can win the award more than once; irrespective of them being eligible in multiple years.
Who Has Won the Golden Boy Award?
Although not boasting a 100% hit rate, the Golden Boy has long been a predictor of elite talent in world football.
The inaugural winner in 2003 was Rafael van der Vaart, who was one of just two Golden Boys to have been selected from a non ‘big five’ league, having been at Ajax at the time of his selection.
Other early Golden Boy winners included Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney… whatever happened to them!?
There have been plenty of Chelsea connections over the years, although no player has won the Golden Boy while contracted to the club – the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Raheem Sterling would later join the Blues in the years ahead.
As mentioned, the Golden Boy hasn’t enjoyed a 100% success rate in terms of predicting the next world-class talent in football. Former Manchester United midfielder Anderson was the recipient in 2008, while Renato Sanches – who spent the 2025/26 campaign on loan at Panathinaikos – is another who hasn’t quite lived up to his early billing.
But since 2017, the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland have been crowned as the European Golden Boy, so it can certainly act as a useful barometer of a fine career ahead.
And that will certainly please Chelsea fans, given that two of the club’s young starlets have been nominated for the 2026 edition…
European Golden Boy 2026 Nominees
Estevao and Hato find themselves amongst an elite array of young stars, with the Premier League well represented by the likes of Myles Lewis-Skelly, Junior Kroupi and Rayan.
Leading the way in the live ‘rankings’, as determined by Transfermarkt, is Pau Cubarsi, who has been a pivotal figure for Barcelona and Spain over the past year – he has established himself as first-choice defender for club and country, winning the La Liga title and the World Cup… and being judged as the Young Player of the Tournament at the latter.
CUBARSÌ ON TOP
The newly updated Golden Boy Top 100 has arrived. Developed with our partner @transfermarkt_official, the ranking tracks the performance of the best U21 players in European leagues.
Here’s the new top 10! 🏆#GoldenBoyAwards
#GBFBIndex
#Transfermarkt
#Tuttosport https://t.co/u628AoCZKg— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyAwards) September 11, 2026
Other strong contenders Warren Zaire-Emery, who has become a key figure for two-time Champions League winners PSG, and Yan Diomande, whose eye-catching performances for RB Leipzig earned him a summer move to Real Madrid.
Lamine Yamal, unquestionably the best player on the planet under the age of 21, is ineligible as he was crowned Golden Boy in 2024.
Estevao burst onto the scene with Chelsea last season, scoring some outstanding goals and notching in three consecutive Champions League games – becoming only the second teenager, alongside Mbappe and Haaland, to do so.
But a hamstring injury wrecked the second half of his season and prevented the teen from representing Brazil at the World Cup, which may have put an end to his Golden Boy hopes.
And Hato is an excellent defender with a very bright future, who has already established himself in the starting eleven for Chelsea and the Netherlands’ national team.
Only one defender – Matthijs de Ligt – has ever won the Golden Boy… can Hato or Cubarsi improve on that record in 2026?