Moroccan midfielder Ilyas Ben Sghir earns 2025 Globe Soccer Award nomination

Ilyas Ben Sghir secured a place among the finalists for the 2025 Globe Soccer Award for Best Young Player, as the organisers released the official shortlist on Wednesday.

The Moroccan international continues to attract global attention through his standout campaign with Bayer Leverkusen.

His creativity, consistency, and growing influence in midfield convinced the judging panel to include him among the brightest young prospects in world football.

Ben Sghir now competes for the award alongside several rising stars from Europe’s elite clubs.

The shortlist features Pau Cubarsí of Barcelona, Desire Doué of Paris Saint-Germain, Arda Güler of Real Madrid, João Neves of Paris Saint-Germain, and Kenan Yildiz of Juventus.

Each nominee has delivered notable performances this season, raising the level of competition for one of the sport’s most coveted youth honours.

The Globe Soccer Awards ceremony will take place in Dubai on 28 December, attracting some of the game’s most influential figures.

Ben Sghir’s nomination fuels optimism in Morocco and at Leverkusen, as supporters anticipate the possibility of him claiming international recognition.

The nomination also highlights a season in which Ben Sghir has grown in confidence and stature.

His inclusion in such a prestigious list reflects the progress he continues to make and the potential he shows to develop into one of football’s leading midfield talents.