Desire Doue has been crowned the 2025 Golden Boy winner, while Michelle Agyemang has earned the Golden Girl award, with both players recognised as Europe’s top young football talents.

The annual honours, presented by Italian newspaper Tuttosport, celebrate the best under-21 players competing in Europe’s top 25 leagues. The winners were announced at a press conference on Tuesday, with the official awards ceremony scheduled for 1 December.

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Doue Shines in Historic PSG Season

The 20-year-old French forward, who was pivotal in Paris Saint-Germain’s treble-winning campaign, capped off a breakout year by claiming the men’s award.

Doue delivered a stunning 16 goals and 16 assists in 61 matches, playing a starring role in PSG’s first-ever Champions League triumph — including scoring twice in the final against Inter Milan.

His performances helped cement PSG’s dominance in France and showcased him as one of the brightest prospects in European football.

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Agyemang’s Breakthrough Year for Club and Country

England striker Michelle Agyemang, 19, earned the Golden Girl title following a memorable year for both club and country.

On loan at Brighton from Arsenal, Agyemang was instrumental in England’s victory at the 2025 European Championship, scoring two vital goals and being named Young Player of the Tournament.

She has made a strong start in the Women’s Super League, starting five of Brighton’s first six matches this season. However, her progress has been halted after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which will rule her out for the rest of the campaign.

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The Prestigious Awards

The Golden Boy and Golden Girl accolades are decided by a panel of 50 sports journalists across Europe. Previous winners of the men’s award include some of football’s biggest names — Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Wayne Rooney.

On the women’s side, past recipients include Germany’s Jule Brand and Colombia’s Linda Caicedo.

Last year’s winners were Barcelona duo Lamine Yamal and Vicky Lopez, though Yamal, still eligible at 18, was not nominated this year since players cannot win the award twice.

To be considered in 2025, nominees had to be born on or after 1 January 2005 and represent a club within UEFA’s top 25 domestic leagues.