The Golden Boy Award has been recognizing the world’s most promising young footballers for two decades. Established in 2003, the award honors players under the age of 21 who have demonstrated exceptional skill, creativity, and potential. Let’s take a look at the impressive list of winners from 2003 to 2023:
Rafael van dear Vaart (2003) and Wayne Rooney (2004) were the first winners, followed by a young Lionel Messi in 2005. Cesc Fabregas (2006), Sergio Aguero (2007), and Anderson (2008) continued the trend of talented winners. Alexandre Pato (2009), Mario Balotelli (2010), and Mario Gotze (2011) showed promise, while Isco (2012) and Paul Pogba (2013) solidified their futures.
Raheem Sterling (2014), Anthony Martial (2015), and Renato Sanches (2016) demonstrated their skills, followed by Kylian Mbappe‘s win in 2017. Matthijs de Ligt (2018), João Felix (2019), and Erling Haaland (2020) continued the legacy. Pedri (2021), Gavi (2022), and Jude Bellingham (2023) are the latest additions to this impressive list.
The Golden Boy Award has become a prestigious honor, recognizing young players who go on to achieve greatness in the football world.
