Pau Cubarsi Leads 2026 Golden Boy Race

Pau Cubarsi, the 19-year-old defender from Barcelona, is leading the race for the 2026 Golden Boy award, presented by Tuttosport to the best player under 21, following his outstanding performance in the recent World Cup.

Tuttosport has published the current rankings for August, with Kobarsi in first place ahead of his Barcelona and Spain teammate Lamine Yamal, who cannot win the award again after claiming it in 2024.

Ivory Coast winger Yann Diomande, who joined Real Madrid this summer from Leipzig in a deal that could reach €140 million, currently sits third in the rankings. The initial list of 100 nominees saw Yamal take the top spot, followed by Zaire Emery, then Kobarsi and Diomande.

Koulibaly's rise to the top presents a unique opportunity for a remarkable achievement, as he would become only the second defender to win the award after Dutchman Matthijs de Ligt, who claimed it while playing for Ajax.

Tuttosport, in collaboration with Transfermarkt, relies on the Golden Boy Index to update the rankings of candidates monthly based on their performances with clubs, European matches, and international appearances. Kobarsi's rise is attributed to his level with Spain in the World Cup, which the national team won.

The list will be reduced between June and October to reach the final candidates, before an international panel of journalists decides the winner of the award. The 2026 edition stipulates that players must be born on or after January 1, 2006, and must not have previously won the award, with a separate public voting option available for the Golden Boy Web award via the Tuttosport website.