Moroccan Trio Shortlisted for Golden Boy 2025
The race for the 2025 Golden Boy award is well underway, and three young Moroccan players have made the first cut in the 100-man shortlist.
Eliesse Ben Seghir and Chemsdine Talbi, both full Morocco internationals, are joined by Franco-Moroccan prospect Ayyoub Bouaddi as nominees for the prestigious award, which recognizes the best under-21 player in Europe each year.
Ben Seghir, 20, enjoyed a solid season with AS Monaco, scoring nine goals and providing four assists.
Talbi, also 20, has been a standout performer for Club Brugge in Belgium. With seven goals and four assists to his name, including key contributions in the Champions League, he's now attracting interest from bigger clubs across the continent, notably German side RB Leipzig.
Bouaddi is the youngest of the Moroccan trio. The 17-year-old midfielder has already broken into the first team at Lille and drew widespread attention after running the show in a 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage. He hasn't committed to Morocco or France at the international level just yet.
While the Moroccan players are turning heads, it's Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsí who currently leads the pack.
The 18-year-old has had a breakout season, making 56 appearances across all competitions and helping Barça to a domestic treble under Hansi Flick. His calmness on the ball and defensive maturity have earned him a rating of 95.4 in the Football Benchmark index, putting him at the top of the official rankings.
Lamine Yamal, last year's winner, sits at number one on the list with a score of 97.7, but since no player can win the award twice, his name is only there for reference.
Paris Saint-Germain's Désiré Doué ranks third and is another strong candidate after a superb season, after winning the Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the UEFA Champions League.
The shortlist was published this week by Tuttosport , the Italian outlet that created the Golden Boy award back in 2003. The final winner will be announced in December. Tags: Ayyoub BouaddiChemsdine Talbieliesse ben seghirGolden Boy award
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