Ayyoub Bouaddi competes for the Golden Boy award in 2026

Moroccan Ayyoub Bouaddi, a Manchester City player, has made the final list of candidates for the 2026 Golden Boy award, after the Italian newspaper Tuttosport announced the names of 25 young talents competing for the award given to the best emerging player in European football.

Ayyoub Bouaddi is the only Arab representative in the final list, reflecting the increasing presence of Moroccan talents in European stadiums. 'Tuttosport' has been awarding the prize annually since 2003.

The award requires that the nominated player be born in 2006 or later, as well as being active in one of the approved European leagues during the evaluation period.

The Premier League tops the list of leagues with the most players in the final roster, featuring eight players including Bouaddi, alongside Brazilian Estevao from Chelsea, Junior Kroupi and Ryan from Bournemouth, Luka Vuskovic from Brighton, Myles Lewis-Skelly from Arsenal, Jorrel Hato from Chelsea, and Charalampos Kostoulas from Brighton.

LaLiga has secured six spots on the list, including three players from FC Barcelona: Pau Cubarsi, Marc Bernal, and Xavi Espart. Additionally, Yan Diomande and Endrick from Real Madrid, along with Jon Martin from Real Sociedad, are also included.

The Bundesliga is represented by five players, while Serie A has three players, and Ligue 1 has just one player, Warren Zaïre-Emery.

The list is completed with two players from the Primeira Liga, Victor Frohult and Gianluca Prestiani, making the competition open among 25 young talents for one of the most prestigious individual awards for emerging players in Europe.

Ayyoub Bouaddi hopes to continue his brilliance and compete strongly for the award, after solidifying his place in the final list among the top young talents in European football, opening the door for the possibility of a new Moroccan name being recorded in the 'Golden Boy' register.