Pau Cubarsí Named 2026 Golden Boy Award Winner
The wonderkid.
The 2026 Golden Boy has been crowned!
At just 19, Pau Cubarsí won the prestigious individual award on Monday, recognising the best young player playing in a European league. The FC Barcelona and Spain centre-back succeeds Désiré Doué as the winner!
The award caps a particularly successful year for the young Catalan. After winning La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup with Barça, Cubarsí also won the 2026 World Cup with Spain, where FIFA even named him the tournament’s best young player.
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Created in 2003 by Italian sports daily Tuttosport, the Golden Boy is awarded each year to the best footballer under 21 playing in a European league. The winner is chosen through a vote by sports journalists from various countries across the continent.
It is worth noting that the rules do not allow players to win the trophy more than once. Previous winners are therefore automatically ineligible for subsequent editions. This is notably why Lamine Yamal, crowned in 2024, and Désiré Doué, the 2025 winner, were not among this year’s finalists.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.
