Golden Boy 2024 Power Rankings

Forget the 2024 Ballon d’Or race for a second – it’s time to celebrate the Golden Boys of the generation: those who are in the infancy of their careers but still possess the maturity, alongside the talent, to make themselves heard.

From the dazzling Lamine Yamal to the cultured Leny Yoro, there have been youngsters aplenty who have made their mark on the world of football in recent times. Last year it was Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham who picked up the prestigious award – but who will be next?

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With the names of the 25 nominees now officially being announced, it is time to rank the future stars by the likelihood of their potential victory. In order to do this, some key criteria will be factored into the considerations.

Ranking factors

• Goals/Assists
• Clean sheets (if defensive-minded)
• Success (at club and international level)
• Big moments in 2023/24 and in major international tournaments
• General form

Wildcard Picks

Endrick, Wilson Odobert, Andreas Schjelderup, Eliesse Ben Seghir, Samuel Mbangula

As well as the usual top 20 who are nominated for the award, there have been five wildcards also added. While we have opted not to include these names, one name stands out among the others who may have the best chance of winning. That, of course, being Real Madrid’s Endrick. The young Brazilian is one of the most highly-rated wonderkids in the world and has already become a regular for the Brazil national team.

Other wildcard options include Tottenham’s Wilson Odobert and recent Benfica addition Andreas Schjelderup, who is on loan at Nordsjaelland. Monaco’s Eliesse Ben Seghir and Juventus’ Samuel Mbangula round out the other surprise nominees, whose talents have been recognised but likely won’t be enough to come away with the crown.

20-16

Oscar Gloukh, Cristhian Mosquera, Samuel Omorodion, Desire Doue, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens

Kicking things off is RB Salzburg forward Oscar Gloukh. The striker has five goals in six domestic league games in the 2024/2025 season and is primed to be a shining light of Israeli football for years to come. Valencia centre-half Cristhian Mosquera follows, with the Alicante-born ace, 20, playing 36 times for his employers across 2023/24, which equates to 3,252 minutes. One to look out for in Spanish colours.

Samuel Omorodion slots in at 18th place. The tall and imperious hitman, who is still just 20 years old, was linked with Chelsea over the summer but eventually made the move to Portuguese giants Porto. He has since proved his goalscoring prowess against the likes of Manchester United.

Two exciting wingers round out the bottom five most likely winners. PSG’s Desire Doue has big shoes to fill in the future, as he is effectively the replacement for Kylian Mbappe at the Parc des Princes. Englishman Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is in 16th spot, with the former Manchester City academy star recently undergoing a name change as he rises to prominence.

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15-11

Adam Wharton, Kenan Yildiz, Jorrel Hato, Leny Yoro, Arda Guler

After making an immediate impression in the Premier League after joining Crystal Palace in January, the subdued Adam Wharton has ironically turned himself into one of the most talked about footballers in English football. While he didn’t get a minute at Euro 2024, the fact he was even called up was a testament to his potential.

Kenan Yildiz is not the last Turkish star to appear on this list, and has proved to be a name to watch out for in Italian football at Juventus. Meanwhile, Ajax defender Jorrel Hato, linked with Arsenal, is next up as the youngster has proven his worth in the Eredivisie. It seems only a matter of time before his name gets called for a big move.

2:27

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One man who did get his transfer was Leny Yoro, who, at the tender age of 18, is already one of the most expensive centre-backs of all-time. Injuries have prevented him from making his Manchester United debut, and also hampered his position on this list as he has been unable to build on an excellent start to his career at Lille.

Finally, just missing out on the top 10 is Real Madrid ace, Arda Guler. Despite spending much of last season on the fringes of Real Madrid’s senior proceedings, the former Fenerbahce starlet took centre stage at Euro 2024 and gave fans a little reminder of his talent. However, his lack of minutes in club football means he falls out of contention.

10-6

Rico Lewis, Mathys Tel, Pau Cubarsi, Savio, Aleksandar Pavlovic

Rico Lewis, one of Pep Guardiola’s utility men, has made the jump up from academy to senior football look effortless – but his lack of minutes last term let him down from a Golden Boy perspective. He has begun to make more of an impact now in the absence of Rodri and, with injuries at left-back, he has also become a regular fixture in the England senior squad.

If Bayern Munich fans were worried that the arrival of Harry Kane would stunt the development of the much touted Mathys Tel, they needn’t have worried. Tel is the perfect understudy to Harry Kane and is growing both in terms of role and performances. Then there’s Pau Cubarsi, who has settled into a role for club and country (Barcelona and Spain no less) despite being just 17-years-old. He still has three more years to win this crown if he continues to improve.

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There was much discussion over Savio’s move to Manchester City due to the club’s links with Girona and Troyes. Nonetheless, the role the Brazilian played in helping the Spaniards secure an unexpected Champions League spot in La Liga, cannot be understated.

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Just missing out on the top five is another Bayern star in Aleksanadar Pavlovic. In a very competitive midfield unit, the 20-year-old forced his way into the team. Had it not been for illness, Pavlovic would’ve appeared at Euro 2024 in his homeland.

5-1

Alejandro Garnacho, Joao Neves, Kobbie Mainoo, Warren Zaire-Emery, Lamine Yamal

A wing wizard of the highest order, Alejandro Garnacho enjoyed his fair share of success last term – with both club and country. The gifted Argentine scored in the FA Cup final, while he also won the 2024 Copa America with La Albiceleste. Despite United’s disappointing start to the 2024/25 campaign, he has remained one of their bright sparks when featured.

Joao Neves, cool and collected enough to be a midfield operator for one of Europe’s top clubs in years to come, just cracks the top four of the rankings. Another product of Benfica’s fabled youth set-up, the Portuguese burst onto the scene last campaign, racking up 55 appearances across all competitions. It was enough to see him snapped up by PSG, where he lines up alongside another top five youngster.

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Two midfield maestros in Kobbie Mainoo and Warren Zaire-Emery are placed in third and second, respectively. The former enjoyed a glittering campaign for England at Euro 2024, while the latter has been the perfect replacement for Marco Veratti at Paris Saint-Germain.

One of the spearheads of Spain’s Euro 2024 lift, who else could be at the top of the Power Rankings other than La Masia product, Lamine Yamal. Mooted to be the next Lionel Messi – having been literally baptised by the footballing god – the part he had to play in his nation’s summer success just proves that he has all the tools to become a future megastar.

Stats via Transfermarkt – accurate as of 18/10/2024