Doué Crowned "Golden Boy 2025" Award Winner: A Prize No Player Wins Twice!

The organizers of the "Golden Boy" award, presented by the Italian newspaper "Tuttosport," have announced that young French star Désiré Doué has won the title of best young player under 21 in Europe for 2025, in recognition of his outstanding performance with Paris Saint-Germain.

The award is presented annually to the best player under the age of 21 who plays in a European league. Previous winners include major stars such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Gavi.

Despite the typically young age of the winners, the rules prevent any player from winning the award more than once, even if they remain eligible by age in subsequent years. This is because the award honors a player's "first breakthrough" and early excellence in their professional career.

Doué thus joins a golden list of talents who have made their mark on European football in recent years. Barcelona star Lamine Yamal was the recipient of the award in 2024.

List of "Golden Boy" Award Winners Since Its Inception:

2003: Rafael van der Vaart (Ajax)
2004: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
2005: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
2006: Cesc Fàbregas (Arsenal)
2007: Sergio Agüero (Atlético Madrid)
2008: Anderson (Manchester United)
2009: Alexandre Pato (Milan)
2010: Mario Balotelli (Manchester City)
2011: Mario Götze (Borussia Dortmund)
2012: Isco (Málaga)
2013: Paul Pogba (Juventus)
2014: Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)
2015: Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
2016: Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich)
2017: Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain)
2018: Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax)
2019: João Félix (Benfica)
2020: Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
2021: Pedri (Barcelona)
2022: Gavi (Barcelona)
2023: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
2024: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
2025: Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain)