The Golden Boy award is a prestigious award which was established in 2003 being one of the most traditional awards in European football. The award is based on the player’s performance throughout the entire year. All nominees must be under the age of 21 and play in a European nation’s top tier. The prize was established by an Italian newspaper Tuttosport in 2003.
Desire Doue Crowned 2025 Golden Boy. In the Frenchman’s first season with PSG Doué scored 16 goals and provided 14 assists in 61 match appearances. The most memorable match for Doué was during PSG’s 5-0 victory against Inter Milan with his contribution of two goals for the club. His match performance made him a sensation to the world of football.
What are the criteria for the Golden Boy award?
The main criteria for the Golden Boy award are that the nominee must be under 21 years of age, playing in a European top league and must play for a European club. Other criteria like the total number of minutes on the field, individual performances and assists, overall performance on the pitch.
Also read: PSG star wins Golden Boy 2025 award beating Barcelona’s Yamal and Bellingham; Guess who?
Did Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo Ever Win the Golden Boot?
Since the Golden Boy award was established in 2003, reports show that Messi and Ronaldo were both eligible for the Golden Boy nomination playing for Barcelona and Sporting CP, respectively.
The Argentine legend won the Golden Boy award in 2005 due to his outstanding yet immaculate performance in Barcelona, debuting for the club in the previous year of the beginning of professional football.
On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo was a rising sensation of the inaugural. Ronaldo had just transferred from Sporting CP to Manchester United. The forward was best known for his performance for the national Portugal team.
Ronaldo was only eligible for three years and narrowly missed out on the award each time. He was placed third and second during the yearly nominations but never won the Golden Boy award.
At the age of 18, Ronaldo joined Manchester United. In his first season at the club, he made 40 match appearances across all tournaments registering six goals and eight assists. He narrowly missed the award to Rafael Van der Vaart, the Ajax player who won the first Golden Boy award.
The following year, Ronaldo missed the award against his teammate at Manchester United, Wayne Rooney, a global sensation at that time. Rooney scored 17 goals across all competitions.
In 2005, Lionel Messi won the Golden Boy award for his excellent performance at Barcelona. Messi made a name for himself in his initial period of professional football. It took a few years for Ronaldo to establish himself as one of the few elite players in Europe.
Written by: Atin Kevin