Tuttosport has just announced the final list of 20 nominees for the 2024 Golden Boy award. Notably, Manchester United has three representatives: center-back Leny Yoro, midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, and forward Alejandro Garnacho.
The Golden Boy award is an annual accolade presented by the Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport, given to the most promising young football talent of the year. All nominees must be under 21 years old and playing in a top-flight European league.
The frontrunner for the award is Lamine Yamal, who has made an impressive rise since debuting for Barcelona’s first team at just 15 years old. The teenage prodigy has broken multiple records and is widely regarded by fans and experts alike as football’s next big star.
During the 2023/24 season, Yamal scored seven goals and provided nine assists in 50 appearances for Barcelona across all competitions. He also played a key role in Spain’s EURO 2024 victory, contributing one goal and four assists.
However, Barcelona is not the club with the most representatives in the top 20 list. Manchester United leads with three nominees: center-back Leny Yoro, midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, and forward Alejandro Garnacho.
Mainoo had a breakout 2023/24 season for Manchester United, scoring five goals and providing one assist in 32 appearances across all competitions. The English central midfielder also won the 2022/23 Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award.
Erik ten Hag primarily deployed Mainoo as a central midfielder, and he established himself as a key distributor and playmaker for Manchester United. Last season, he maintained an impressive 87% pass accuracy in the Premier League, averaging four ball recoveries per match.
Meanwhile, Garnacho has become a key attacking threat for Manchester United and continues to show his development after breaking through last season. Yoro, while listed as a United player, has yet to make a senior appearance for the club but earned his nomination based on his achievements at Lille during the 2023/24 season.
Other notable contenders for the Golden Boy award include Joao Neves of Benfica, Warren Zaire Emery of PSG, Pau Cubarsi of Barcelona, and Rico Lewis of Manchester City.
Aside from Manchester United, PSG also has three nominees in the top 20: Zaire Emery, Joao Neves, and Desire Doue. Other clubs with multiple representatives include Barcelona, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich, with two each.
2024 Kopa Trophy Nominations
Several Golden Boy contenders have also been shortlisted for the 2024 Kopa Trophy, an award given by France Football to the best U21 footballer in the world, announced during the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Both Lamine Yamal and his Barcelona teammate Pau Cubarsi are on the list, as well as Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.
Arda Guler of Real Madrid, along with Savinho of Manchester City, has also made the cut, while PSG is represented by Warren Zaire-Emery.
The 2024 Kopa Trophy will be awarded on October 28 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.