Endrick leads Real Madrid’s three-player presence in 2026 Golden Boy race

Three Real Madrid players have been named among the initial contenders for the 2026 Golden Boy award, with Endrick joined by fellow youngsters Yan Diomande and Tiago Pitarch in the 100-player field.

The annual prize is presented by Italian newspaper Tuttosport to the best young player competing in Europe’s domestic leagues. Real Madrid highlighted the inclusion of the three players on the club’s official website.

Endrick, the Brazil international, is part of the list alongside Ivorian forward Yan Diomande and Spanish midfielder Tiago Pitarch. Their selection gives Real Madrid three representatives as the early stages of the competition begin.

Players considered for the 2026 award must have been born after 1 January 2006 and be registered with a club in one of the 25 strongest leagues in Europe.

The initial ranking contains 100 names and will be updated by Tuttosport every month. The field will later be reduced to 20 finalists, who will compete for the award.

The winner will be chosen by a panel of 50 journalists representing some of Europe’s leading media organisations.

The list also includes several of the most prominent young players in European football. Among them are Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, Paris Saint-Germain’s Warren Zaire-Emery, Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, and Brazil forward Estevao.

Other contenders named are Bayern Munich player Lennart Karl, Arsenal forward Ethan Nwaneri and Franco Mastantuono, who is also among the highly regarded young talents in the field.

The latest winner is France international Desire Doue, the Paris Saint-Germain player who claimed the 2025 award. He finished well ahead of Real Madrid midfielder Arda Guler, who placed second.

Real Madrid’s inclusion of three players continues the club’s strong presence in the award’s recent history. Guler was the runner-up in the most recent voting, while the club now has another opportunity to challenge for the prize through Diomande, Endrick and Pitarch.

However, the 2026 contest remains at an early stage. The 100-player list is only the starting point, with the monthly updates and eventual reduction to 20 contenders still to come before the winner is decided by the international media panel.