Golden Boy Race: How Lamine Yamal leads Europe’s elite young players
Today, players are breaking into first-team football at increasingly younger ages, with Lamine Yamal serving as a standout example. Currently topping the Golden Boy Football Benchmark Index ranking as of September, the FC Barcelona sensation has already amassed over 4,100 minutes in senior matches by the age of just 17 years and 2 months. To put this into perspective, at the same age, legends such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos, and Xavi had yet to play a single minute at senior, first-team level.
But Yamal isn’t the only rising star. Across Europe, a new generation of young talents is clocking up significant playing time. In the following, we highlight Europe’s brightest young football prospects and explore which nations, leagues, and clubs are producing the next wave of elite players.
Key insights from the article:
- France leads the way in the Top 100 of the Golden Boy Football Benchmark Index, contributing 11 players, ahead of England (8) and Spain (7).
- The English Premier League dominate among European leagues, supplying 22 players to the Top 100, followed by Ligue 1 with 16, and both LaLiga and the German Bundesliga with 10 each.
- Brighton & Hove Albion FC stand out at the club level, boasting 6 players on the list, with AS Monaco following with 4.
- Following the September update, three players have surpassed a GBFB Index score of 90: Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona) with 94.4, João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain) with 93.9, and Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United) with 91.3.
- By the age of 17 years and 2 months, Lamine Yamal has played an impressive 4,184 minutes in senior matches, more than any previous European Golden Boy winner at the same age. Last year’s winner, Jude Bellingham, ranks second on this list with 2,944 minutes.
France, England, and Spain: The powerhouses of emerging football talent
For the second year running, Football Benchmark and Tuttosport have released their Golden Boy Football Benchmark (GBFB) Index Top 100 list. This monthly ranking highlights the most exceptional young talents born after 1 January 2004, who are making their mark in top European football leagues.
Based on nationality, France leads the way with 11 players on the list and an average GBFB Index score of 72.6. England follows closely with eight players and an average score of 73.2. Spain ranks third, with seven players and the highest average GBFB Index score of 75.6 among all nations.
Belgium stands out with 6 players and an average score of 69.1. Turkey is represented by five players, with an average score of 67.3, while Brazil has four players averaging a score of 70.3. Norway and Israel each have two players on the list, and their average scores are notably high at 72.8 and 70.3, respectively.
In terms of total GBFB Index scores, France leads with a substantial 798.4, followed by England with 585.9, and Spain with 529.4.
The English Premier League provide nearly a quarter of the Top 100
In the league rankings, England, France, and Spain emerge as the top three, with the Premier League taking the lead by contributing an impressive 22 players to the Top 100 list, boasting an average rating of 71.3. Ligue 1 follows with 16 players and an average rating of 69.6, while LaLiga ranks third with 10 players and the highest average rating among leagues at 75.
The German Bundesliga hold the fourth spot, also with 10 players but a lower average rating of 70.6. Next is the Belgian Pro League, providing nine players with an average rating of 64.8. Notably, the Pro League is the first league on the list that is not part of Europe’s traditional “Big Five”, attesting to their reputation as exceptional talent developers.
Among leagues outside the Big Five, Eredivisie (5 players), the Austrian Bundesliga (4 players), and Liga Portugal (4 players) are prominently featured. Of the “Big Five” leagues, Serie A contribute the fewest players to the list, with four.
Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester United, Red Bull Salzburg
Brighton & Hove Albion FC dominate the Top 100 list with six players, securing their place at the top in terms of total GBFB Index score. Interestingly, four of the players were already with the club the previous season, but Brajan Gruda and Yankuba Minteh were both signed by Brighton this summer. When it comes to average rating, Manchester United lead the pack. With three players on the list, United boast an exceptional average score of 89.
Other clubs with remarkable average scores include Paris Saint-Germain, with three players and an average of 87.2, FC Barcelona with three players and an 85.1 average, along with Manchester City and Bayern München, both maintaining strong performances.
Among the teams contributing the most talent, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Red Bull Salzburg also stand out. Notably, Red Bull Salzburg are the only club in the top 10 that compete outside Europe’s “Big Five” leagues, highlighting their exceptional player development system.
The Top 25: Final rankings on the horizon
As we approach the finalization of the list in October, the frontrunners for the Top 25 are starting to take shape.
Last year, a minimum score of 67.2 was required to break into the final Top 25. Lamine Yamal, who ranked 25th last year, has now surged to the top of the GBFB Index with an impressive 94.4 score. For 2024, the bar has been raised, with a minimum score of 74 needed to secure a spot in the Top 25.
In 2023, five players achieved scores above 90, and eleven surpassed the 80-point mark. So far this year, three players have crossed the 90-point threshold, and twelve have earned scores above 80.
The current top 10 is dominated by Manchester-based clubs, with five players hailing from the city—three from Manchester United and two from Manchester City. Additionally, two Paris Saint-Germain players and two FC Barcelona players have made it into the top 10.
A notable shift this year is the presence of players from outside Europe’s “Big Five” leagues. Last year’s final Top 25 featured eight players from outside these major leagues, while this year’s September update shows just three so far. There is still time for others to step and make their mark before the October GBFB Index update, but further concentration of talent in top leagues seems to be the trend.
Several standout players from last year’s Top 25 have made a return to this year’s rankings, including Lamine Yamal, Arda Güler, João Neves, and Warren Zaire-Emery, reaffirming their status among the most promising young talents in football.
Lamine Yamal – A phenomenal talent
Lamine Yamal has taken the football world by storm, and despite his incredibly young age, he has already established himself as a pivotal player, not only for FC Barcelona but also for the Spanish national team. At just 17 years and 2 months old (as of September), Yamal remains eligible for the Golden Boy award for several more years—unless he clinches the title before then.
His statistics are nothing short of remarkable. Yamal has amassed 4,184 minutes playing for Barcelona’s senior team and Spain’s national squad by the age of 17 years and 2 months. To put that into perspective, at the same age, legendary players like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos, and Xavi had played exactly 0 minutes in senior football.
Looking at past Golden Boy winners, only Jude Bellingham comes remotely close to matching Yamal’s playing time at this age, but even he trails by over 1,000 minutes.
For further comparison, Alejandro Garnacho, currently ranked third on the Golden Boy list, had played just 4 minutes in first-team football by the time he reached Yamal’s age. João Neves, who ranks second, had played none. Yamal’s early achievements are truly extraordinary, setting him apart as one of football’s most promising young stars.
