Barcelona superstar backs teammate Lamine Yamal to win the Golden Boy award this year
Barcelona star Pedri has backed fellow teammate Lamime Yamal to win the 2024 Golden Boy award. This comes after his sensational outing at the just-concluded Euro 2024.
Yamal was one of the stand-out players at Euro 2024. The 17-year-old played a key role in Spain's title triumph and was named in the team of the tournament. He scored one goal, provided four assists, and was also named Young Player of the Tournament.
Prior to the European Championship, the youngster also enjoyed a stellar campaign with Barcelona. He registered 17 goal involvements in 50 games across competitions in his breakout season (2023-24).
Yamal’s exploits in the past couple of months have made him one of the hottest prospects in football. The Barcelona forward’s market value has taken a hike. He is also the front-runner for the Golden Boy award given to the best-performing younger player in Europe under the age of 21.
Pedri shares the same sentiment about the award and has backed Yamal for the accolade. Recently, when asked who was his choice for the honor, Pedri who won the prestigious award in 2021, said (via The Residency) :
"The next Golden Boy? Lamime Yamal 100%"
It's worth noting that Barcelona have dominated this field in recent times and have produced the most winners (3). Lionel Messi won the award in 2005, followed by Pedri (2021) and Gavi (2022).
When Lamime Yamal was recognized at the Golden Boy ceremony
Lamine Yamal might be the huge favorite for the Golden Boy award, but he's already been previously recognized by the award organizers, Tuttosport.
In 2023, Yamal was awarded the first-ever Golden Boy 'The Youngest' award after he became the youngest player to appear on the award's podium. The award recognizes the best young player in Europe under the age of 21. The Barcelona youngster made the top three finalists aged just 16.
Since making his debut, the La Masia prodigy has smashed a lot of records. He is the youngest player to feature for Barcelona at the age of 15 years, nine months and 16 days. He is also the youngest player to start a UEFA Champions League game at 16 years and 83 days.
His records also extend to the international level. He is the youngest player to score for the Spanish national team, and the youngest to feature at the European Championship.