Why Lamine Yamal missed the 2026 Golden Boy shortlist

Lamine Yamal was left out of the 2026 Golden Boy shortlist, even though the race narrowed to 25 players from an original group of 50. Goal.com reports that the Barcelona forward was omitted when the list was revealed on the day of publication. The Golden Boy award, created by the Italian newspaper Tuttosport in 2003, honors the best under-21 player in European competition and remains one of the most recognized markers of emerging talent. The final 25 includes several Barcelona names such as Pau Cubarsi and Xavi Espart, along with Warren Zaire-Emery, Endrick, Yan Diomande, and others from clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Bournemouth, and Benfica. Yamal is excluded due to eligibility rules: he won in 2024, and winners cannot win again.