Since the inception of the award for best young player in world of football in 2003 there has been 17 deserving winners. The litany of talent shown over the course of this prestigious awards span so far has been amazing, but not every player can live up to the hype of being “the next big thing”. Sure some award winners have set the world alight and blazed a trail of destruction on every team around the globe but there are many that have, as the saying goes ‘Gone Dark’ on not only their potential but also their skill and abilities.
The award is given for the best young player in the world for any given year. The individuals show exceptional poise and talent not only beyond their years but in comparison to all talent over the world. Many of these young individuals are tipped to take out the top gong of the Balon d’Or in their not so distant future.
So, let’s take a trip down memory lane and see not only who has won the award in the past but where they are now and if all that hype and praise eventuated into reality. In the list we are going to give leeway to the two most recent recipients of the award as they are still only developing. The verdict will give a rating on what we determine of each players career in comparison to the touted career potential when receiving the Golden Boy Award.
2003 Winner – Rafael van der Vaart
At 20 years of age the young Dutchman won the award after a scintillating season for Ajax where he made 30 appearances and scored 22 goals. This tally is a magnificent return for such a young prospect. A warranted move to Hamburg SV in 2005 saw the young man play 113 fixtures for the German side before the global exposure won him a move to juggernauts Real Madrid in 2008. Believed to be a possible ‘Galactico’ a two year stay in Madrid wasn’t pleasant and the Dutch international moved to the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur no less than 2 hours before 2010 transfer window closed. The then 27 year old should have been hitting his straps, but injury hampered a lot of game time during this spell in the English top flight. He did however have his moments, one of the best being his outstanding performance of 2 goals against North London rivals Arsenal in the Champions League in a 3-3 draw in 2010. He finished his first season with 13 goals and 9 assists to lead Spurs in both departments. Could this have been his potential reached? Unlikely as it seemed there was more to be desired. After a three season stay in London with 77 games under his belt with his last season only making 2 appearances he moved back to Hamburg SV where his career never spiked to any highs again. After a few more locations he is now retired from the game.
Verdict – C+
2004 Winner – Wayne Rooney
What is there not to say about the Englishman that hasn’t already been said? At 19 years of age and playing for Everton, Rooney won the Golden Boy Award for his exceptional performances over the course of the previous two seasons where he was a regular starter having 37 and 44 appearances in all competitions scoring 17 goals total. His dynamism got him a move to Manchester United where he became the pillar of the Premier League Powerhouse side for 13 years. His potential seemed to be fulfilled straight away after he scored 17 goals in his Red Devils debut season. From here he never looked back breaking the 20 goals a season barrier in all competitions 4 times and the 30 goal barrier once, which was remarkable for a side that boasted Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov during Rooney’s tenure at the club. 559 appearances and 253 goals later Rooney is a 5 time Premier League winner, 1 time FA winner and 1 time Champions league winner, while being Manchester United’s and England’s all-time top goal scorer. Rooney is now plying his trade at Derby County where he has 4 goals this season in 15 appearances.
Verdict – A+
Obviously in accordance to the title of this article it would be stupid to delve too far into the career of Lionel Messi as the man has broken all most every record the game has individually and as a club. However, we will cap a few moments. Easily the greatest Golden Boy winner, Messi has gone on to win a record 6 Balon d’Or trophies while remaining loyal to FC Barcelona. His rise to the top was initiated in the 2004-05 season when he was subbed on for Deco. This was the moment the history of football changed. Having a hard time assimilating over his first two senior team seasons, only scoring 9 goals in 34 games it was season three where he exploded with 17 goals in 36 games from right wing. The next year he led his national team to an Olympic gold medal before returning to Barcelona to score 38 goals in 51 games. From here the goals just flowed like a tap with an unrelenting hunger to score - and score he did. Breaking the 50 goal barrier for 3 consecutive seasons from 2010-2013 he set the record for most goals in a year in 2012 with 91 in just 69 games. His international career has let him down a bit with no senior team trophies, but, his impact on the game is second to none and he is easily on the Mount Rushmore of footballing greats. With 10 league titles, 6 Spanish Cups, 4 Champions Leagues, 6 Balon d’Or’s – with an astonishing 12 top 3 finishes (5 runner-up’s and 1 third place), 6 Pichichi’s and an 11 time team of the year player, it is safe to say Golden Boy potential was reached and then some.
Verdict – A++
2006 Winner – Francesc Fabregas
Barcelona’s La Masia produced back-to back Golden Boy champions with Fabregas winning the award in 2006 after Lionel Messi the previous year. The Spaniard became one of the Premier League’s best talents very early on after he joined Arsenal in 2003. An 8 year stint saw him go from a potential great to a midfield icon for the Gunners with his display of skill and a simple unplayable and diverse array of passing, recording 59 goals and 92 assists over the 8 seasons. In 2011, returning home to Barcelona in an attempt to replace Xavi in the starting team, this is where the man known as ‘Cesc’ stalled in his career. 3 years in Cataluña seemed more of a layover than a rise in status. Often being played out of position as a centre forward, Fabregas still produced 42 goals and 57 assists in 151 games. 2014 saw the Spanish international return to England with Chelsea where he would achieve league success by claiming 2 Premier League titles with the blues where he was instrumental in both. The international scene didn’t stop Fabregas either as he was a pivotal part in the greatest run of international team success in the history of the sport with Spain winning 2 consecutive European Championships (2010, 2014) with a FIFA World Cup sandwiched between in 2012. Now 32, the 2006 19 year old Golden Boy is a global champion and has lived up to his potential.
Verdict – A
2007 Winner – Sergio Aguero
The Argentine debuted for Independiente at a meagre 15 years of age. This showed his ability and desire to improve. After 4 seasons in the first team, a move overseas to the Spanish capital with Atletico Madrid in 2006 came knocking. One season into his European career he won the award after a season where he didn’t miss a league game but only scored 6 goals while playing second fiddle to Fernando Torres. He won the award not on his prolific ability in front of goal but the potential for him to be exactly that. With Torres moving to Liverpool, Aguero was bumped up to top guy and he grabbed that role by both hands. 2007-08 saw him add 20 goals to his previous season tally to finish all competitions with 27. From here he went another three years with 21, 19 and 27 goal returns respectively. The 2010-11 season of 27 goals in 41 games made the new look era Manchester City take notice. A move eventuated and Aguero hit the ground running with 30 goals in season one in the blue side of Manchester. Second season syndrome saw him only get 17 goals but from there to the present day his lowest tally has been 28 goals. His reliability in front of goal (almost a guarantee to get a club 25+ a season) even with injury affecting many seasons proves his status as one of the most deadly strikers ever. The fact that he hasn’t been the predominant penalty taker at any club he has been at shows his tenacity to score from open play. And who can forget where his legendary status was solidified…. Agueroooooooooooooooo!!!!
Verdict – A
2008 Winner – Anderson
Anderson was the big thing to come out of Brazil when moving to Porto in 2006. After just one short season in Portugal, Manchester United bought the young man where he spent 8 seasons of straight up misery. Not scoring a goal for his first 2 seasons he quickly fell out of favour and by 2013 he was loan listed and sent out to Fiorentina in the hope that he could rekindle his talent and come back to United with something different to offer the team. Unfortunately this didn’t happen and after only 9 goals in 181 appearances (many as a substitute) he was sold and went back to Brazil with Internacional. Despite being the holder of 4 Premier League winners medals Anderson played virtually no significant part in any of these wins.
Verdict – F
2009 Winner – Alexandre Pato
Another young Brazilian who won award and then fell off a cliff comes in the form of Alex Pato. Receiving the award in 2009 after a great season with a then exceptional AC Milan side where he scored 18 goals in 42 appearances he helped Milan to league title honours after 4 seasons with the club in 2010-11. Injury prevented us from seeing what could have been, but when fit again Pato chose to move back to Brazil with Corinthians. A loan move to Sao Paulo saw some improved form with 38 goals in 98 games only for Chelsea to look for a loan move for him. This did not turn out a good move for either party as Pato only made 2 appearances scoring 1 goal. Another unsuccessful stint at Villareal saw him move to the Chinese Super League for astronomical amounts of money and produce some great returns in front of goal with 36 goals in 60 games. Overall though this was a move for money more than a move for competition. The potential was Drogba-esque with his power, speed and a deadly touch but he never fulfilled it.
Verdict – C+
2010 Winner – Mario Balotelli
Balotelli could very well be the most underutilised superstar in the history of football, not because of his lack of opportunity but his own inability to remain level headed and his desire to be the best. Blessed with god given flair, charisma and that something special that not many players possess he burst onto the scene in 2007 with Inter Milan where he spent three seasons with the first team, amassing 28 goals in 86 appearances. Winning the Golden Boy award after this 3rd season at just 20 years of age, the Italian moved to Manchester City where he was looked highly upon and given the mantle of being one of the clubs marquee strikers. Disciplinary issues, injuries and a lack of form stalled the young Italians rise to superstardom having only featured in 80 matches over the course of three full seasons in Manchester. Despite scoring 30 goals in these games Balotelli was far from being ‘The Man’ as the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and even Edin Dzeko took the mantle from him. He became more iconic for displaying the now famous “Why always me” undershirt celebration than that of a player. Leaving City back for Milan in mid-2012, this time with the Rossoneri, produced what looked like a potential fulfilment of his class. He appeared motivated and rejuvenated in his homeland. Another 30 goals came but then came the return of the Balotelli we remember him as. Disciplinary issues again saw him transferred. Liverpool took a punt on him but that was short lived and after just 16 games and he was loaned straight back to AC Milan. A three year stint at Nice in France got him out of the limelight and gave him his best spell of form and attitude to date. Returns of 17 and 26 goals in his first two seasons was great but season three unravelled him. 10 appearances and 0 goals. The national team has also been an up and down affair for Balotelli. The 2012 Euros made him look spectacular but inconsistent selection after and his own failures at club level has seen him miss out regularly. He is now 29 and still looking for that Golden Boy tag break out.
Verdict – C
2011 Winner – Mario Götze
Already making a splash for himself at club and country level before winning the award in 2011, Götze has been a dynamic attacking midfielder for both German giants in Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Alas, despite being the second highest transfer fee German player of all time he hasn’t always been the consistent performer he was publicised to be. He has had perhaps the most iconic moment in football by snatching away a World Cup from Argentina in 2014 by scoring an exceptional extra-time volley in the final. This was the highest of moments for the German but outside of 5 German league titles where, let’s be honest, he wasn’t the deciding factor in the team winning and he always played for the top favourite’s in an understrength league, Götze hasn’t been the most sought after names in the European transfer market. The international arena is where he has shone the most, but after the departure of most of the 2014 World Cup winning squad Götze became the senior experienced man and from here the German’s allure of dominance has diminished. 4 international goals since 2014 in 22 appearances isn’t great for a leader of the team, seeing as he had 13 in 41 prior to 2014 when he was just establishing himself.
Verdict – B-
2012 Winner – Isco
Isco, by all means is a superstar of world football. However, in comparison to his expected career path it is not all what it seems. Getting a start at Valencia in 2009 it wasn’t until he was at Malaga in 2011 that he was recognised. Winning the Golden Boy award in 2012, it came off the back of terrifying displays in both the league and the Champions League where Malaga made a decent run in the competition. These performances made big boys Real Madrid come asking for his signature. The signing was looked at as a possible future replacement for midfield maestro Xabi Alonso at the time. Likewise Isco was to take over any of Alonso, Xavi or Iniesta in the national team and carry on the Spanish legacy. He has been a dynamo at times for Real Madrid but he can’t nail down a starting spot. Some of this has come from poor management decisions but for someone who is ‘The next Alonso or Iniesta’ he has been quite below that acclaim. 300 games in Madrid has produced 51 goals and 4 Champions League titles where he was a big part of at least two of them, but something is lacking. It may just be his situation in the Madrid set-up but we can’t just put it down to that as he has been given substantial opportunity before falling out of favour. No doubt he is one of the best players in the world right now talent wise and at 27 years old he still is in his prime.
Verdict – A-
2013 Winner – Paul Pogba
One of the most hyped players in football history, Pogba rose to prominence in the Serie A during the 2012 season for Juventus. He had just moved there from Manchester United where he couldn’t break into the first team and became an instant starter. By the end of this season he had the Golden Boy award wrapped up at age 20. The very next season he increased his output to become a more all-round dominant player making his Golden Boy award seem rightfully awarded. 2014-15 saw him become the main focal point of the Juventus squad as they reached the Champions League final only to lose to the talent stacked Lionel Messi led Barcelona. One more season in Italy came and past with another league title, but Pogba looked for pastures new. Returning to United in the infamous ‘PogBack’ campaign turned into a nightmare for the Frenchman. He regularly found himself on the bench or not in the match-day squad causing animosity between himself and then manager Jose Mourinho along with the fan base. His talents seemed wasted not being in the side. A new lease on life came when Mourinho was sacked and Pogba produced some excellent performances that garnered 13 league goals in 2018-19. It’s no lie he should be doing more for his club on the pitch as shown when he plays for the national team. During the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign and the World Cup Proper in which France won the trophy, Pogba was a different beast and only got topped as the best player in the squad by the insane form of Kylian Mbappè. At 27 what is next for Pogba to get back to his best at club level, because as seen at his best he can be unplayable with his skill set and physical presence.
Verdict – B+
2014 Winner – Raheem Sterling
Winning the award a fair time after his senior team debut in the 2011-12 season with Liverpool, Sterling has achieved great success over his career so far. Initially when he was promoted to the Liverpool side he looked small and out of place. His touch was poor and his composure was woeful. But for a 17 year old anyone could see he had potential. It was the 2013-14 season where Sterling sunk his teeth into the big time, playing 33 league games and scoring 9 goals to be part of the SSS frontline that Liverpool boasted at the time that struck fear in opponents each game-day. He helped Liverpool to a runners-up position in the league. The next season wasn’t as kind in the league for Liverpool and this saw the exit of Sterling to Manchester City for a £44million sale. Sterling had an immediate impact becoming one of City’s first names on the team sheet. Playing 30 league games or more consistently, Sterling’s goal contributions have continued to rise with each season. With 4 full seasons complete at City he has registered 11, 10, 23 and 25 goals per season with him currently sitting on 20 this season. If anymore football is to be played this season, it is clear he will pass his previous seasons total even with a restricted games format due to coronavirus. His career has just gone from strength to strength and with 2 league titles, an FA Cup and being one of the best in England’s national squad at 25 years of age he has a long way to go.
Verdict - A
2015 Winner – Anthony Martial
Coming through the French ranks, Martial proved himself as a big-time player in Monaco’s 2014-15 season where a 48 game 12 goal effort from left wing at just 19 years of age won him the Golden Boy award. Monaco boasted a fantastic squad that season with players like Fabinho, Joao Moutinho, Bernardo Silva, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Radamel Falcao in the side, but Martial outshone them all. In the January window of 2015-16 Martial made the switch to Manchester United where he came with the tag of “Thierry Henry successor” in the league. 17 goals in the second half of that season and it looked like the prophets could have been right with the tag, but the following season saw a hangover that had appearance and goal numbers decrease. The next two seasons and the current season has shown that when played regularly in his correct position, Martial is one of the most talented close touch dribblers of a ball in the world. He possesses a deadly striker’s awareness that gets him goals consistently when utilised, but for some reason that we can’t quite understand he always seems to be classed as a rotational player by managers. Now, we get it - Marcus Rashford is also at United and both are fighting for one spot at times but when put against each other it appears that Martial is the better of the two in our opinion. One of the most underrated players in the world at the moment but still only 24 years of age gives him time to find his feet again.
Verdict – B-
2016 Winner – Renato Sanches
Moving up the ranks at Benfica the Portuguese native had his first significant involvement in a meaningful competition at the 2016 Euros where he was thrust into a national team that needed some guile in midfield. He was simply superb in his dominance of the middle of the park and went on to win the young player of the tournament award as Portugal grabbed to trophy out of nowhere beating out heavy weights Croatia, Poland and finals opponents France en-route to victory after getting through the group stage with no wins (3 consecutive draws). Sanches was a huge part in the solidarity of the defence despite playing in midfield. His energy and athleticism played a large part in the team’s success. An immediate move after the Euros on the club front to Bayern Munich looked to be a big gamble for the club as a fee of €35million for someone who had very little senior experience was a large one. Despite opportunity given with 25 appearances in his Bayern debut season Sanches appeared to be a flash in the pan and quickly fell out of favour with a 2017-18 loan downgrade move to struggling Swansea City where he also found himself featuring on the bench. Still only 22 years old he has a lot of time ahead of him to show his class with his current home of Lille being a fruitful developing ground with 28 club appearances so far this season.
Verdict - D
2017 Winner – Kylian Mbappè
What to say about the Frenchman? He has the world at his feet literally and figuratively. Whenever he plays he makes the crowds stand-up and pay attention while being on a better statistical pace for career projection than the likes of Messi and Ronaldo were at the same age. Being the most overwhelming and convincing winner of the award since probably Lionel Messi, Mbappè carried an AS Monaco side in 2016-17 to a league title and all the way through the Champions League unexpectedly where they made the semi-finals only to lose to Juventus. He finished this season with 26 goals in 44 games and taking out the Golden Boy award. A lock out by the player on his Monaco contract in 2017-18 gave him his wanted move to PSG where he also hit the ground running, producing 21 goals in 44 games. From here he has gotten better and better all the while outshining teammate Neymar who was supposed to be the top dog poster boy for the Paris based side. 39 goals in 43 games in season two with PSG followed this season with 30 goals in 33 games currently, giving him a current total of 121 goals in his 191 professional appearances. However, playing in Ligue 1 does come with its scepticism, as outside the PSG side there is a huge stepdown in playing quality and it is an “easy” league to rack up goals. These thoughts though were extinguished in 2018 FIFA World Cup where Mbappè put the French national side on his young shoulders and powered them to international glory. His pace was unstoppable as he made most defenders look like they were running in sand when chasing him. He has the ability to dominate the footballing world the likes of Messi and Ronaldo have for the next decade.
Verdict – A+
2018 Winner – Matthijs de Ligt
The first defender to be given the award is a pretty big deal as it shows the quality of the Dutchman. His performances as Ajax captain in the Champions League in the 2018-19 season were inspirational. He had composure beyond his years and steered the side from the back to beat Real Madrid and Juventus on the way to the semi-final where Tottenham defeated them only on the away goal ruling. A move to Juventus for the current season hasn’t seen him be as dominant at the back, with injury and non-selection coming into effect but there is little to say other than there is no doubt at the current time with his career projection he could become a legendary defender for the ages in club and national team set-up.
Verdict – B+
2019 Winner – Joao Felix
The most recent winner of the award hasn’t proved much beyond his one season in the senior team for Benfica. Nevertheless, after winning the award last year due to a sizzling 20 goals in 43 games for Benfica a big money move came straight away to the cash laden Atletico Madrid who spent €126million on him after the sale of Antoine Griezmann for a similar price. 6 goals in 28 games so far is a handy return but not yet the fulfilment that was initially expected. It is not just his scoring though that makes him such a great prospect. The ability to dribble the ball and be versatile across the forward line and attacking midfield roles allows him to work and be effective in many different formations and styles of play. He is also very hard working off the ball and helps on defence, which being in the Atletico Madrid side is a must. With such a small sample size for a career so far we are going to be kind on his verdict.
Verdict - B-
