The list of nominees to win this year’s Golden Boy award has been cut down from 100 candidates to the last 20 and with no winner having retained the trophy for a second year it means that it could be someone other than Mbappe.
Clearly Mbappe has had a sparkling year but he received the gong in 2017 and Tuttosport, who give out the award, usually look for fresh talent.
Golden Boy candidates
Alexander-Arnold (ENG/Liverpool)
Kelvin Amian (FRA/Toulouse)
Aouar (FRA/O. Lyon)
Brekalo (CRO/Wolfsburg)
Cutrone (ITA/Milan)
Dani Olmo (SP/Dinamo Zagreb)
Davies (ENG/Everton)
De Ligt (HOL/Ajax)
Diogo Dalot (POR/Manchester United)
Eder Militao (BRA/Porto)
Edouard (FRA/Celtic)
Foden (ENG/Manchester City)
Gedson Fernandes (POR/Benfica)
Haidara (MAL/RB Salzburg)
Achraf (SP-R. MAD/B. Dortmund)
Ikone (FRA/Lille)
Justin Kluivert (HOL/Roma)
Mbappe (FRA/PSG)
Upamecano (FRA/RB Leipzig)
Vinícius Jr. (BRA/Real Madrid)
Golden Boy winners
2003: Van der Vaart (HOL/Ajax)
2004: Rooney (ENG/Manchester United)
2005: Messi (ARG/Barcelona)
2006: Fabregas (SP/Arsenal)
2007: Aguero (ARG/Atletico)
2008: Anderson (BRA/Manchester United)
2009: Pato (BRA/Milan)
2010: Balotelli (ITA/Manchester City)
2011: Gotze (GER/Borussia Dortmund)
2012: Isco (SP/Malaga)
2013: Pogba (FRA/Juventus)
2014: Sterling (ENG/Liverpool)
2015: Martial (FRA/Manchester United)
2016: Renato Sanches (POR/Bayern)
2017: Mbappe (FRA/PSG)
A jury of 30 journalists from around Europe will vote for the winner. Tuttosport though have revealed that the favourites are Justin Kluivert (Roma), De Ligt (Ajax) and Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool).
Only players that were born after January 1st, 1998 are considered, and among them are Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr and Achraf (on loan at Dortmund) and the Spaniard Dani Olmo at Dinamo Zagreb.