Brighton and Hove Albion's new player Zadok Yohanna has made it to the top 100 in the 2026 Golden Boy rankings. This shows how the 19-year-old Nigerian is becoming one of Europe’s exciting young players.
Yohanna joined Brighton this summer from AIK Stockholm in Sweden. He signed a five-year deal that lasts until June 2031. He is ranked 80th in the 100-player list released by Italian newspaper Tuttosport, which organizes the annual award. He is just ahead of his teammate Babis Kostoulas, who is in 83rd place.
Before moving to England, Yohanna was impressive at AIK. He scored five goals and made four assists in 18 matches. He was also included in Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle’s squad for the 2025 Unity Cup. But AIK did not let him go for the tournament since it was outside FIFA’s international match window.
At the same time, he was dealing with an injury while his transfer to Brighton was being sorted out.
Yohanna is among several Nigerians in the top 100 list. Other young players include Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri, Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha, Atalanta’s Honest Ahanor, Francis Onyeka from SV 07 Elversberg, and Juventus’ Jeff Ekhator. The winner will be announced in November.
Tuttosport revealed the list in Perugia. It ranks players under 21 based on their performances and achievements in 2026 so far.
Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi is the early favourite after a great season. The final results will also depend on World Cup performances and the new club season.
The list is led by Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. But he cannot win again since he already got the award in 2024. The rules say no player can win twice. Warren Zaire-Emery from Paris Saint-Germain and Cubarsi are currently in the top three. Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP and Estevao from Chelsea are also strong contenders.
The top ten players also include Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, Lennart Karl from Bayern Munich, Victor Froholdt from Porto, Jorrel Hato from Chelsea, and Luka Vuskovic from Hamburg.
Historically, Spanish players have dominated the Golden Boy award. Many big names like Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Aguero, Isco, Pedri, Gavi, and Jude Bellingham have won it. Spain has had four winners, more than any other country. France follows with three winners, while Argentina, Brazil, England, the Netherlands, and Portugal have had two winners each.
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