Turin – Italy raises its head in the race for the Golden Boy 2025, the award that annually celebrates the best Under-21 player in Europe. Among the 25 finalists, three names stand out, representing the future of Italian football: Kenan Yildiz of Juventus, Francesco Pio Esposito of Inter and Giovanni Leoni, Liverpool defender.
The list was revealed at Abbey of Sant'Andrea, on the Erzelli hill in Genoa, during the official presentation of the “European Golden Boy – Absolute Best 2025”. The list includes the 20 players with the highest scores in the Golden Boy Football Benchmark Index – a system that measures the performance of young European talents based on objective data such as playing time, club and national team performances, and market value – plus five “wild cards” chosen from positions 21 to 100.
Competing for the throne, in addition to the three Italians, there will be important names such as Pau Cubarsi of Barcelona, Desiré Doue e Warren Zaire-Emery of PSG, and the jewels of Real Madrid Arda Guler, Dean Huijsen e Franco Mastantuono.
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With 9 playersThe Premier League is the most represented league, ahead of La Liga, Ligue 1, and Primeira Liga. Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid boast the highest number of finalists – three each – confirming their supremacy in developing young talent. The total value of the 25 candidates exceeds 1,25 billion euros, a fact that testifies to the richness and potential of the new football generation.
During the event the following were also announced: 10 Golden Girl finalists, the award dedicated to the best Under 21 footballer in Europe, presented by Marta Carissimi, head of the women's sector of Genoa. The evening was enriched by the speeches of Patrick Vieira, coach of the rossoblù club, and the CEO Andrés Blázquez, who underlined the importance of development structures and models to nurture the champions of tomorrow. The international jury composed of 50 European journalists will announce the winner in November, during a press conference where the other special prizes will also be announced.
Comments (1)
It's a great initiative for youth football in Italy, but I hope it's not just seen as a publicity stunt. Young people deserve to be recognized for their talent, not just for money.