Lennart Karl among five Bundesliga stars on Golden Boy 2026 shortlist
Bayern's Lennart Karl and Cologne's Saïd El Mala are among a group of five Bundesliga stars listed in the 25-strong shortlist for the prestigious Golden Boy Award, which recognises the most talented youngster under 21 across the football world.
Presented annually by Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport since 2003, the Golden Boy honours the best under-21 player competing in one of Europe's top-flight leagues, as determined by the UEFA coefficient rankings. The winner is selected by a panel of leading football journalists.
Karl earned his place on the shortlist after a breakthrough 2025/26 campaign in which he helped Bayern secure a Bundesliga and DFB Cup double. The 18-year-old contributed nine goals and eight assists in 40 competitive appearances, while also winning his first three senior Germany caps. A thigh injury ultimately denied him the chance to feature at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Watch: Lennart Karl lighting up the game
Cologne's Saïd El Mala and VfB Stuttgart's Finn Jeltsch also made the cut for the 25-player shortlist.
El Mala scored 15 goals and provided four assists in a stunning debut Bundesliga campaign in 2025/26, while Jeltsch's defensive steel in 23 Bundesliga appearances helped his club qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Watch: The best of Saïd El Mala in the Bundesliga in 2025/26
A pair of Borussia Dortmund summer signings - attacker Konstantinos Karetsas and defender Joane Gadou - also made the shortlist.
Yan Diomande was also named among the top 25 after an impressive season with Leipzig. The 19-year-old recorded 13 goals and 10 assists in 36 appearances across all competitions, earning the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season award before switching to Real Madrid in the summer.
Another player shortlisted for that honour was defender Luka Vušković, who enjoyed a stellar campaign on loan to Hamburg.
Watch: New kids on the Dortmund block
The Golden Boy 2026 winner will be announced in November. Paris Saint-Germain's Désiré Doué claimed the award in 2025, while Mario Götze (2011, Borussia Dortmund), Renato Sanches (2016, Benfica/ Bayern Munich), Erling Haaland (2020, Dortmund) and Jude Bellingham (2023, Dortmund/ Real Madrid) are the only previous winners who were playing for Bundesliga clubs at some point during the year they won the award.
