As Lamine Yamal continues his recovery from an ankle injury in his right leg, there is significant anticipation surrounding the 17-year-old Barcelona winger.
This injury has kept him out of action for the club’s last three games against Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo, and Brest, as well as two friendly matches with the Spanish national team.
However, despite being sidelined, Yamal is expected to receive monumental news on Wednesday, with reports strongly indicating that she could be crowned the Golden Boy 2024, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Big day for Lamine
The announcement is set to take place in the Sala Trasparenza within the striking Regione Piemonte skyscraper in Turin, Italy. If confirmed, this prestigious award will recognise Lamine as the best Under-21 player in the world.
The Golden Boy, often referred to as a youth Ballon d’Or, is awarded to players of any nationality who play for a European club.
Lamine Yamal is the favourite to win Golden Boy 2024. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)
Although the official award ceremony won’t occur until Monday, 16 December, Lamine is already seen as the favourite. The event, hosted by the Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport, will bring together the brightest young football talents in the world.
How is the winner decided?
It must be noted that a panel of 50 experienced journalists from major European newspapers voted to decide the winner.
The voting process began with 100 nominees earlier this year, which was later narrowed down to 25 finalists on 17 October. Notably, another Barça player, Pau Cubarsi, was also among the finalists.
If Yamal secures the award, he will follow in the footsteps of Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, the 2023 winner, and join an elite group of Barcelona stars.
Pedri and Gavi claimed the title in 2021 and 2022, respectively, making Yamal potentially the fourth Barcelona player and third La Masia graduate to win it.
Furthermore, comparisons to Lionel Messi, who won the Golden Boy in 2005, only add to the significance of this moment. It would be a testament to Barcelona’s enduring tradition of nurturing exceptional young talents.