Desiré Doué has won the Golden Boy 2025 award. The PSG player was considered the clear favorite for the prestigious award.
It was a season that Desiré Doué could not have imagined better. The 20-year-old won four titles with Paris Saint-Germain, becoming French champion, cup winner, and Super Cup winner. On top of that came the crowning glory in the Champions League, where the striker scored twice in the final against Inter Milan (5-0). In March 2025, he was called up to the senior national team for the first time and has already made three appearances for the Equipe Tricolore.
So the “Golden Boy” award, presented by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport since 2003, came as no surprise to the highly decorated player. Doué had previously been named the best young player of the year in Ligue 1 and the Champions League. It is also a little balm for Doué’s wounds. Due to a serious muscle injury in his right thigh, he faces a long break and will miss the top match in the Champions League against FC Bayern on Tuesday evening (9 p.m.).
No German players made the 25-name shortlist, but two Bundesliga players did: Eliesse Ben Seghir of Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Jobe Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund. The Premier League had the largest contingent among the 25 players with nine, followed by La Liga and Ligue 1 (four each).
Lamine Yamal was not listed because the 18-year-old from FC Barcelona won the award last year and is therefore no longer eligible to be voted for in the coming years. A new winner is to be chosen every year.
The trophy is awarded each year to the best U-21 player in Europe. This year, only youngsters born after January 1, 2005, were eligible.
