Recently, Tuttosport has released the list of top 100 players for the Golden Boy 2022 award. Golden Boy is considered as the Ballon d’Or of young people as the best player under 21 has been awarded by the votes of top sports journalists. Here we have brought the top five favourites to win the Golden Boy 2022 award.
The Golden Boy 2022 is now celebrating its 20th anniversary of this trophy. For the Golden Boy 2022 battle, the players must have been born after 1st January 2002.
The latest list of top 100 players in the nomination for the Golden Boy 2022 award will be shortened by 20 units in the middle of each month. In the middle of October 2022, the last 20 players will fight for the Golden Boy 2022 award.
Top five favourites to win the Golden Boy 2022 award
5. Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)
In this Golden Boy award history, only the Dutch centre-back Matthijs de Ligt was the defender to win this trophy in 2018. Can the Portuguese left-back Nuno Mendes become the second defender to win this award?
The 19-year-old former Sporting CP left-back has recently joined the French giants Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this summer. Last season, the defender successfully served for the same French club on loan.
Mendes made 40 appearances last season (2021/22), including 37 matches for PSG. In the French Ligue 1, he participated in 27 games, including 18 starts. Due to his consistent performances, Mendes was nominated for the Ligue 1 Young player of the year, and he was also named in the Ligue 1 Team of the Year.
Mendes is also regularly playing for his national team Portugal. Since his senior national team debut in March 2021, the left-back has appeared in 15 games, including 10 starting line-ups.
4. Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid)
The 19-year-old French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga has been playing for the Spanish giants Real Madrid since 2021 summer.
Previously, Camavinga already impressed for Rennes in the French Ligue 1. In his first season for Real Madrid, the youngster played an important role (majorly as a substitute player) in their massive success.
As Camavinga is getting regular opportunities, he is blooming as a strong midfielder. In his first season for Los Blancos, the club won Supercopa de Espana, La Liga trophy and UEFA Champions League trophy.
3. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)
The 18-year-old English central-midfielder Jude Bellingham can be a favourite to win this Golden Boy award. In the last two seasons, Bellingham highly impressed for the German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.
The VDV Bundesliga Newcomer of the Season 2020/21 winner Jude Bellingham was also selected in the VDV Bundesliga Team of the Season 2021/22. He was the Kopa Trophy 2021 runners-up as the Spanish footballer Pedri won that award during the latest Ballon d’Or ceremony.
Bellingham made 46 appearances for Borussia Dortmund in the 2021/22 season, where he scored six goals and also had 14 assists. There was no doubt about his incredible performance in the Bundesliga 2021/22, where he finished as the third most successful tackling player (433 duels won).
2. Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund)
The 20-year-old German forward Karim Adeyemi has just joined the German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund from Austrian Bundesliga club Red Bull Salzburg.
While Adeyemi made his debut for the Red Bull Salzburg senior team in the 2019/20 season, the last season was really special for him. Red Bull Salzburg once again dominated in the domestic league in the 2021/22 season where Adeyemi was their leading goal scorer with 23 goals in 44 overall appearances.
The latest Austrian Bundesliga leading goal scorer Adeyemi is ready for a new and bigger challenge in Germany.
1. Gavi (Barcelona)
Though the Spanish central-midfielder Gavi is only 17-year-old, he already impressed world football with his regular performances.
The Barcelona youth academy footballer Gavi made his debut for the senior Barca side early last season. While the club is going through a deep financial crisis, the youngster has soon grown up as an asset to the club.
The teenager Gavi appeared in 47 games in his first season for Barcelona senior. He managed two goals and five assists in that season.
Gavi is also serving strongly for the Spain national football team. Since his senior team debut in October 2021, he has already appeared in 10 international games, including eight times in starting XIs. Gavi is not only the youngest player to serve for the senior Spain national football team, but he is also the youngest player to score for this team.
Many experts have already claimed that Gavi has huge potential in the game.
