England striker Michelle Agyemang and nine Premier League youngsters have been shortlisted among Europe’s brightest footballing talents for the prestigious Golden Boy and Golden Girl awards.
The annual accolades, created by Italian newspaper Tuttosport, celebrate the best under-21 players in European football, with past winners including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Wayne Rooney.
Agyemang Among Golden Girl 2025 Nominees
Michelle Agyemang, currently on loan at Brighton from Arsenal, is one of ten players nominated for the Golden Girl 2025 award, which recognises the most talented young female footballer in Europe.
The 19-year-old was a standout performer at Euro 2025, scoring crucial late equalisers against Sweden and Italy as the Lionesses successfully defended their title. Her performances earned her the Young Player of the Tournament award.
Agyemang is joined on the shortlist by Chelsea midfielder Wieke Kaptein and Manchester City’s Iman Beney, as well as top young talents from across Europe including Giulia Galli (Roma), Eva Schatzer (Juventus) and Lily Yohannes (Lyon).
Golden Girl 2025 Nominees:
- Michelle Agyemang – Brighton (on loan from Arsenal)
- Iman Beney – Manchester City
- Giulia Galli – Roma
- Eva Schatzer – Juventus
- Signe Gaupset – Brann
- Smilla Holmberg – Hammarby
- Felicia Schroder – Häcken
- Wieke Kaptein – Chelsea
- Nina Matejic – Zenit St Petersburg
- Lily Yohannes – Lyon
Last year’s Golden Girl winner was Vicky López of Barcelona, following in the footsteps of Germany’s Jule Brand and Colombia’s Linda Caicedo.
Nine Premier League Players Make Golden Boy 2025 Shortlist
A total of nine Premier League stars feature on the 25-player Golden Boy shortlist, which honours the top under-21 male footballers in Europe.
Among the English-based nominees are Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, Tottenham Hotspur’s Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, Chelsea’s Estevão and Jorrel Hato, Manchester United’s Leny Yoro, Manchester City full-back Nico O’Reilly, and Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni.
Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain dominate the list, while Borussia Dortmund’s Jobe Bellingham – brother of 2023 winner Jude Bellingham – is also among the favourites.
Golden Boy 2025 Nominees:
- Pau Cubarsí – Barcelona
- Dean Huijsen – Real Madrid (formerly Bournemouth)
- Arda Güler – Real Madrid
- Franco Mastantuono – Real Madrid
- Désiré Doué – Paris Saint-Germain
- Warren Zaïre-Emery – Paris Saint-Germain
- Senny Mayulu – Paris Saint-Germain
- Kenan Yildiz – Juventus
- Ethan Nwaneri – Arsenal
- Myles Lewis-Skelly – Arsenal
- Jorrel Hato – Chelsea
- Estevão – Chelsea
- Lucas Bergvall – Tottenham Hotspur
- Archie Gray – Tottenham Hotspur
- Geovany Quenda – Sporting CP
- Leny Yoro – Manchester United
- Nico O’Reilly – Manchester City
- Jobe Bellingham – Borussia Dortmund
- Francesco Pio Esposito – Inter Milan
- Rodrigo Mora – Porto
- Giovanni Leoni – Liverpool
- Aleksandar Stankovic – Club Brugge
- Eliesse Ben Seghir – Bayer Leverkusen
- Victor Froholdt – Porto
- Mamadou Sarr – Strasbourg
Rising Stars of Europe: The 2025 Golden Generation
To qualify for the 2025 edition, players must have been born on or after January 1, 2005, and currently play in a club competing in one of UEFA’s top 25 leagues.
Notably, last year’s Golden Boy winner, Lamine Yamal of Barcelona, is not eligible this time around, as no player can win the award twice.
Among this year’s leading contenders are Désiré Doué of PSG, who finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or after winning the Champions League, and Borussia Dortmund’s Jobe Bellingham, who shone for Sunderland before earning his move to Germany.
When Will the Golden Boy and Golden Girl Winners Be Announced?
The Golden Boy and Golden Girl 2025 winners will be chosen by a panel of 50 leading sports journalists from across Europe.
The results will be announced in November 2025, with the exact date still to be confirmed.
🏆 Past Winners
- Golden Boy: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Wayne Rooney, Jude Bellingham
- Golden Girl: Jule Brand, Linda Caicedo, Vicky López
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