The Statistics Behind Lamine Yamal’s Golden Boy Award Amid Reports of Barcelona’s ‘Logistical Dispute’ for Missing the Event
Lamine Yamal capped off his remarkable year by winning the accolade for the best Under-21 player in Europe. Barcelona had a strong presence at the awards, with Vicky Lopez taking home the Golden Girl trophy and Txiki Begiristain receiving the honor for the best director.
However, the trio did not attend the ceremony due to logistical challenges faced by Barcelona. Instead, they participated remotely via a video connection during the awards night, hosted at Turin’s National Automobile Museum.
According to outlet Relevo, the absence of Barcelona’s players was attributed to “various logistical disagreements with the Italian sports newspaper, which organized the event, causing displeasure for the Catalan club.”
Yamal, who played a vital role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, follows in the footsteps of Jude Bellingham, who won the men’s award last year.
How the Golden Boy voting works
The voting process allows representatives from 50 media outlets across Europe to cast their votes, where a player receives 10 points for a first-place pick, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth, and one for fifth.
The 17-year-old forward from Barcelona achieved a total of 488 points out of a possible 500, marking a record score in the men’s category.
Finishing in second place was Kobbie Mainoo with 114 points, recognized for his contributions at Man United.
The list also included his teammates Alejandro Garnacho (9th) and Leny Yoro (17th). Meanwhile, Manchester City was represented by Savinho (7th) and Rico Lewis (13th), along with former academy player Jamie Gittens, who placed 19th.
Evangelos Marinakis, who owns Nottingham Forest and other clubs, was awarded a Career Award, and Jorge Mendes was honored as Best Agent. Toni Kroos took home the Golden Player Man, the award for best player over 21.
Yamal has now become the fourth Barcelona player to win the Golden Boy award following Lionel Messi (2005), Pedri (2021), and Gavi (2022). Additionally, in October this year, Yamal claimed the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player at the Ballon d’Or.
