Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi Tops 2026 Golden Boy Award Shortlist

Pau Cubarsi Leads 2026 Golden Boy Nominees

Barcelona’s young defender Pau Cubarsi has taken the spotlight as the frontrunner for the 2026 Golden Boy award, joining a list of 25 promising talents from Europe’s biggest clubs including Real Madrid, PSG, and Manchester City. At just 19, Cubarsi has quickly become vital to Barcelona’s defense and played a key role in Spain’s recent World Cup success.

Cubarsi’s Rise and Recognition

After being named the best young player at the 2026 World Cup, Cubarsi is now expected to claim the prestigious Golden Boy trophy. The award, created by Tuttosport, honors the best Under-21 player in European football. Selection depends on a detailed Golden Boy Index developed by Football Benchmark, which measures players’ performances, total minutes played, and their club’s overall strength. Additional bonuses reward achievements in European and international contests.

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Although Cubarsi is leading the pack, several other notable players have made the final shortlist. Manchester City newcomer Ayyoub Bouaddi earned his first nod following his €100 million transfer from Lille last summer. Bournemouth’s striker Eli Junior Kroupi impressed with 13 goals in 33 appearances during his debut English season.

Real Madrid has two hopefuls: Endrick and Yan Diomande, the latter recognized for an outstanding last season at RB Leipzig where he scored 15 goals and provided 12 assists across 54 matches.

Wild Cards and Other Key Players

Tuttosport’s wild card system brought in players who might have been overlooked based purely on statistics. This year’s selections include Brighton’s Charalampos Kostoulas, Borussia Dortmund’s Joane Gadou, and Barcelona’s Xavi Espart. Additional important names are Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly, Chelsea’s Jorrel Hato and Estevao, and Juventus’s Kerim Alajbegovic.

Paris Saint-Germain, dominant last year with three finalists, only have Warren Zaire-Emery continuing his streak among Europe’s top young talents.

Complete List of 25 Finalists

• Pau Cubarsi: Barcelona
• Ayyoub Bouaddi: Manchester City
• Eli Junior Kroupi: Bournemouth
• Endrick: Real Madrid
• Yan Diomande: Real Madrid
• Charalampos Kostoulas: Brighton
• Joane Gadou: Borussia Dortmund
• Xavi Espart: Barcelona
• Myles Lewis-Skelly: Arsenal
• Jorrel Hato: Chelsea
• Estevao: Chelsea
• Kerim Alajbegovic: Juventus
• Warren Zaire-Emery: Paris Saint-Germain
• Marc Bernal: Barcelona
• Luka Vuskovic: Brighton
• Victor Froholdt: Porto
• Rayan: Bournemouth
• Gianluca Prestianni: Benfica
• Konstantinos Karetsas: Borussia Dortmund
• Said El Mala: Cologne
• Finn Jeltsch: Stuttgart
• Lennart Karl: Bayern Munich
• Jon Martin: Real Sociedad
• Rodrigo Mora: Roma
• Franco Mastantuono: Fiorentina

With such a deep pool of emerging stars, the battle for the Golden Boy remains intense despite Cubarsi’s clear favoritism.