Paris Saint-Germain forward Désiré Doué has been named the 2025 Golden Boy award for the best under-21 male. The PSG forward surpassed players like Real Madrid star Dean Huijsen and Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsí to be named as Lamine Yamal’s successor.
Désiré Doué was also ranked fourteenth in the Ballon d’Or nominations and second in the Kopa Trophy behind Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. 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.
Where will the award ceremony be held?
The award ceremony will take place on December 1 at the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile in Turin.
What is the Golden Boy award?
The Golden Boy award was established in 2003 as 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. Some famous winners of the Golden Boy award are Lionel Messi (2005), Kylian Mbappé (2017), Erling Haaland (2020), and Jude Bellingham (2023).
13 different countries are represented among 20 nominees across 13 different clubs. France is the most represented with five nominees, followed by England with four. Champions league holders like Paris Saint German, and Real Madrid each have three representatives, more than any other club.
List of Golden Boy winners From 2003 to 2025
| Year | Player | Club |
| 2025 | Désiré Doué | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 2024 | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona |
| 2023 | Jude Bellingham | Borussia Dortmund/Real Madrid |
| 2022 | Gavi | Barcelona |
| 2021 | Pedri | Barcelona |
| 2020 | Erling Haaland | Borussia Dortmund |
| 2019 | João Félix | Benfica/Atlético Madrid |
| 2018 | Matthijs de Ligt | Ajax |
| 2017 | Kylian Mbappé | Monaco/Paris Saint-Germain |
| 2016 | Renato Sanches | Benfica/Bayern Munich |
| 2015 | Anthony Martial | Monaco/Manchester United |
| 2014 | Raheem Sterling | Liverpool |
| 2013 | Paul Pogba | Juventus |
| 2012 | Isco | Málaga |
| 2011 | Mario Götze | Borussia Dortmund |
| 2010 | Mario Balotelli | Inter Milan/Manchester City |
| 2009 | Alexandre Pato | AC Milan |
| 2008 | Anderson | Manchester United |
| 2007 | Sergio Agüero | Atlético Madrid |
| 2006 | Cesc Fàbregas | Arsenal |
| 2005 | Lionel Messi | Barcelona |
| 2004 | Wayne Rooney | Everton/Manchester United |
| 2003 | Rafael van der Vaart | Ajax |
Written by: Atin Kevin