Lamine Yamal does not appear on the 25-man shortlist announced Oct. 5 for the 2026 Golden Boy award. According to Sky Sports, the Barcelona forward is ruled out because he has already won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, which will be announced Oct. 26.
Why Lamine Yamal Is Ruled Out
The Golden Boy award, presented annually by Italian publication Tuttosport, honors Europe’s best men’s player under 21. The award excludes prior Ballon d’Or winners. Yamal finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting behind Ousmane Dembélé and remained eligible for Golden Boy through 2025.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or voting closed Sept. 28, with results set to be announced Oct. 26 at the London Palladium. According to Sky Sports, Yamal is ruled out of Golden Boy because he has already won the award.s player under 21 in Europe. According to Sky Sports, the award excludes prior Ballon d’Or winners.
Sky Sports states he is “ruled out because he has already won the award,” suggesting that his 2026 Ballon d’Or victory, with results to be announced Oct. 26 at the London Palladium, has disqualified him from the 2026 Golden Boy shortlist.s player under 21 in Europe. The award excludes prior Ballon d’Or winners to maintain a distinction between the two honors. Since Yamal finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting behind Ousmane Dembélé, he remained eligible for Golden Boy through 2025.
Any win in the 2026 Ballon d’Or race, decided by a Sept. 28 voting deadline with results announced Oct. 26 at the London Palladium, would end his Golden Boy eligibility for the 2026 shortlist.
Yamal’s recent form has been extraordinary. He scored 104 seconds into Spain’s 3-2 win over England on Sept. 26, becoming the youngest male player to score a competitive goal at Wembley at 19 years and 75 days old, surpassing Patrick Kluivert’s record from Euro 1996. He then scored twice against Croatia on Sept. 29 in a 4-1 Nations League victory and again in the sixth minute against Czechia on Oct. 3.
s omission comes despite extraordinary recent form. He scored in the 104th second against England on Sept. 26, becoming the youngest male player to score a competitive goal at Wembley at 19 years and 75 days old, surpassing Patrick Kluivert’s record from Euro 1996. He scored twice against Croatia on Sept. 29 in Spain’s 4-1 Nations League win, and again in the sixth minute against Czechia on Oct. 3.
Barcelona occupy three spots on the Golden Boy shortlist, more than any other club. Pau Cubarsi, named best young player at the 2026 World Cup, ranks among the strongest contenders, along with Marc Bernal and Xavi Espart.s status as a Ballon d’Or winner prior to this shortlist announcement suggests the award has either been announced before the Golden Boy finalists were revealed, or the rule applies to recent winners. The sources confirm he is ruled out because he “has already won the award,” locking him out of contention for the youth honor.
The Contenders: Barcelona’s Dominance
Pau Cubarsi, named best young player at the 2026 World Cup, ranks among the strongest contenders, along with Marc Bernal and Xavi Espart.
s season and the competition
Yamal’s omission comes during one of the strongest campaigns of his career. The Barcelona forward helped the club retain the La Liga title in the 2025-26 season and was named La Liga’s best player. He then starred for Spain at the 2026 World Cup, which Spain won after defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time on July 19, 2026. Ferran Torres scored the winning goal in the 106th minute.
Since the World Cup, Yamal has continued his momentum in the UEFA Nations League. Against Croatia on Sept. 29, he scored twice in Spain’s 4-1 win. On Oct. 3, he scored again in a sixth-minute strike against Czechia, one of three early goals he scored in four Nations League matches.
Pau Cubarsi, named best young player at the World Cup, ranks among the strongest contenders. Marc Bernal and Xavi Espart also made the 25-man cut, giving the defending La Liga champions significant representation in the youth competition.
The Golden Boy 2026 Field
The 25-man shortlist features eight Premier League players, making England’s top flight the most represented league. Arsenal midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly, 20, is among the contenders.
What’s Next
The 2026 Ballon d’Or winner will be announced Oct. 26 at the London Palladium. The Golden Boy winner will be decided separately by Tuttosport’s voting process.
Reporting from Yahoo Sports, The Associated Press, FOX Sports and Sky Sports contributed to this story.
