There's a growing number of individual prizes in football these days and one that certainly carries some weight is the Golden Boy award.
It's a very wide-reaching award, started by Italian newspaper Tuttosport in 2003 to name one Under-21 footballer as the best in any given year. Some massive names have taken the award in the past, including Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Wayne Rooney and Lionel Messi.
A longlist of 100 players has been announced and that will be cut to 80, then 60, 40 and finally 20. The winner is determined by votes from journalists, with each voter giving ten points to their first pick, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth and one for fifth.
Votes are collated and the results revealed at an award ceremony that usually takes place in November. Here are the ten players, in order, we think have the best chance of winning the award.
Golden Boy 2023 favourites - ranked
10. Romeo Lavia - Southampton
This pick is largely based on the assumption that Romeo Lavia is not going to be playing for Southampton in the Championship. He impressed so many with his defensive midfield play despite being in such a poor Southampton side.
His chances of winning the award will be significantly affected by where he ends up next season and how quickly he can hit the ground running. Arsenal are in talks with Southampton now and given Thomas Partey could be on the way out, there is space for him in the starting XI.
9. Youssoufa Moukoko - Borussia Dortmund
The level of expectation for Youssoufa Moukoko at Borussia Dortmund has steadily grown year on year since he joined the first team in 2020. He is still a teenager but next season could be when he really starts to shine.
He grabbed seven goals and six assists last season with a fairly limited role but is expected to really rival Sebastian Haller next season for the starting berth. His 2023 has been good so far and with a stronger start to next season, he could be in the conversation.
8. Rasmus Hojlund - Atalanta
This really has been a breakout season for Rasmus Hojlund at Atalanta, having arrived from Austrian side Sturm Graz for €17.2m last summer. The Serie A club could make a huge profit this summer if the interest from Manchester United and others materialises.
Hojlund had one extremely good patch of the campaign after the World Cup and the rest was not quite as impressive. That being said, he ended the season with ten Atalanta goals and could get a lot more exposure at a new club next season.
7. Xavi Simons - PSV
Xavi Simons has taken an unusual career path but had a frankly ridiculous season with PSV, scoring 19 times from midfield and getting nine assists in the Eredivisie. He started 100% of their games and is now a serious player.
There are rumours about a move to Manchester United and Arsenal but staying in the Netherlands seems more plausible right now. If he can get PSV into the Champions League group stage and impresses there early on, he is a real contender to win this award.
6. Florian Wirtz - Bayer Leverkusen
Florian Wirtz is a name that rose to serious prominence a couple of years ago before fading away again. He suffered a serious injury and the world moved on while he recovered, but he is back in the thick of the action and has picked up where he left off.
Wirtz managed to play 25 games last season for Bayer Leverkusen, scoring four times and getting eight assists. His name already carries some weight and coming back from a cruciate ligament rupture so young shows impressive mental strength, something the journalists may consider.
5. Alejandro Balde - Barcelona
Very much the star of the second half of Barcelona's season, Alejandro Balde has well and truly made the left-back spot his own at the Blaugrana. The 19-year-old ended up playing 44 times during the 2022/23 season.
He has made Barcelona fans forget all about Jordi Alba and saved the club from having to enter the market for a full-back on both sides rather than just the right. He should only kick on from here.
4. Antonio Silva - Benfica
Another young defender who has announced themselves in recent months, Antonio Silva looks like he could be one of the best young defenders in Europe for a long time. It's not always easy to choose just one young star of a Benfica team, but he looks like the closest to winning the Golden Boy award.
He ended up playing 44 games and scored a very impressive five goals last season. Liverpool and Tottenham have been linked with him in the past but he could stay put this summer.
3. Gavi - Barcelona
Gavi already feels like a fully established player at this point, but he is still yet to turn 19 years old. The Barcelona star played 49 games last season and would have featured more if not for an injury absence.
He is actually the current holder of the Golden Boy award which may preclude him from winning it this year as that has never happened, but he has to be put into the conversation given his immense quality in midfield.
2. Jude Bellingham - Real Madrid
There is an extremely high chance Jude Bellingham wins this award. The England international has just signed for Real Madrid and seems to have the world at his feet.
He is already regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, but now he must show it on a bigger stage than ever before.
If Bellingham hits the ground running at Real Madrid, this award could well be his. If he needs a few months to adjust, it might have to wait for next year when he will still be eligible.
1. Jamal Musiala - Bayern Munich
There are two main reasons why Jamal Musiala is our pick for Golden Boy at this stage and not Bellingham. Musiala will not be adjusting to a new team and country when the season begins, and these sorts of awards do tend to favour forward players over midfielders. Numbers talk.
Musiala scored 12 times and grabbed 13 assists in the Bundesliga last season and also impressed at the World Cup with Germany. He is one of the best forwards in Europe and there is no reason why he can't do the same, if not more, when the new season begins.
This article was originally published on 90min as The favourites to win the Golden Boy 2023 award - ranked.
