Venice will provide the setting for the 2026 Golden Boy ceremony, with three Brazilian forwards still in contention for one of Europe’s leading individual prizes for young players. Endrick of Real Madrid, Chelsea’s Estêvão and Bournemouth’s Rayan have made the 25-man final shortlist for the award, which recognises the standout under-21 footballer playing for a European club.
The prize concerns performances across the 2025/26 European season. No date has yet been announced for the event in the Italian lagoon city, but the reduction to 25 candidates marks the decisive stage of a process that began with 100 names in May.
Brazil had seven players in that initial group. The four who have not progressed to the final selection are Shakhtar Donetsk forward Kauã Elias, Tottenham’s Souza, Porto player William Gomes and Manchester City defender Vitor Reis.
Endrick, Estêvão and Rayan now remain part of a field containing several of the continent’s most familiar emerging talents. Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsí, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery and Real Madrid attacker Yan Diomande are also among the finalists.
A prize with a notable lineage
The Golden Boy has repeatedly identified players who went on to shape the European game. Paris Saint-Germain’s Désiré Doué won in 2025, following Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal in 2024, while Jude Bellingham, Gavi and Pedri took the previous three editions. Erling Haaland was the recipient in 2020, with João Félix, Matthijs de Ligt and Kylian Mbappé honoured in the three years before that.
Its earlier winners include Renato Sanches, Anthony Martial, Raheem Sterling, Paul Pogba, Isco, Mario Götze and Mario Balotelli. The roll of honour stretches back to Alexandre Pato in 2009, Anderson in 2008, Sergio Agüero in 2007, Cesc Fàbregas in 2006, Lionel Messi in 2005, Wayne Rooney in 2004 and Rafael van der Vaart, the inaugural winner in 2003.
