Golden Boy 2020: who are the 20 great promises of world...

Since 2003, the award Golden Boy delivered by the Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport is responsible for awarding the best European football player under 21 years old. Due to its importance, it is a kind of Ballon d’Or for the great young promises of the international market. This 2020, despite the difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic, the award will be awarded the same and today the 20 candidates for the dispute that the European media already defines as “the most fought and with the highest level in recent years.”

The only two requirements to be cited were to have been born after January 1, 2000 and to currently play for a European first division club. For several months, the Italian publication has been making cuts to consolidate the final list, to the point that it started with 100 names and ended with the 20 most important and most projected young talents. Now, with the last names defined, The delivery will be made on December 15 to meet the successor of João Félix, the Portuguese striker of Atlético de Madrid, winner in 2019.

The three big favorites to win the Golden Boy 2020 shine in the German Bundesliga: the Canadian left-back Alphonso Davies, recent Champions League champion with Bayern Munich; and the English far right Jadon Sancho and the norwegian attacker Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund. In addition, among other outstanding players, there are two extremes of the Spanish League: the Spanish Ansu fati from Barcelona and the Brazilian Vinícius Júnior of Real Madrid.

Vinícius is one of the two South Americans who shine, along with his compatriot and partner Rodrygo Goes, right winger of Real Madrid. Meanwhile, the other two members of the American continent are the American right back Sergiño Dest (Ajax / FC Barcelona) and the Canadian offensive midfielder Jonathan David (Gent / Lille). The remaining 15 players are European.

The English Premier League is the league with the most candidates (6). The rest? 4 in La Liga in Spain, 3 in the Bundesliga in Germany, 3 in Ligue 1 in France, 2 in Serie A in Italy and one in the Eredivisie in Holland and the Bundesliga in Austria.

England is the country with the most talents, with a total of five representatives. In addition to Sancho, one of the strong candidates, the midfielder stands out Phil Foden (Manchester City), far right Mason Greenwood (Manchester United), far left Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea) and inside left Bukayo Sako (Arsenal). Meanwhile, in addition to Brazil, in second place with two candidates appear the Netherlands, with the left back Mitchel Bakker (PSG) and the steering wheel Ryan Gravenberch (Ajax), and Spain, with Ferran Torres (Valencia / Manchester City), in addition to the already mentioned Ansu Fati.

The rest? Sweden bursts with the midfielder Dejan Kulusevski (Parma / Juventus); Hungary appears with the steering wheel Dominik Szoboszlai (RB Salzburg); Italy presents the midfielder Sandro Tonali (Brescia / AC Milan); Portugal has the forward Fábio Silva (Porto / Wolverhampton); and France stands out with the midfielder Eduardo Camavinga (Rennes).

Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona are the only teams that have two candidates.

The winner will be chosen by a jury authorized by 40 journalists from the most important European newspapers of the old continent, Among which stand out Bild (Germany), Blick (Switzerland), A Bola (Portugal), L’Équipe and France Football (France), Marca y Mundo Deportivo (Spain), Ta Nea (Greece), Sport-Express (Russia ), De Telegraaf (Netherlands) and The Times (UK). Each member of the jury nominates five players and will assign 10 points to the player they think is the most outstanding, 7 to the second, 5 to the third, 3 to the fourth and 1 point to the fifth.

Fans will not have decision-making power over the Golden Boy (Best Absolute) award, but they can participate in the online survey, which will have its own result: the one who has received the most votes in the digital world wins their award as Golden Boy Web. Throughout history, there were two Argentine winners: Lionel Messi in 2005 and Sergio Agüero in 2007.

The complete list and order according to its market value in euros (Transfermarkt)

• Jadon Sancho (England). Borussia Dortmund right winger. 117 million euros.
• Alphonso Davies (Canadá). Bayern Munich’s left-back. 80 million.
• Erling Haaland (Norway). Borussia Dortmund forward. 80 million.
• Ansu Fati (Spain). Left end of Barcelona. 80 million.
• Phil Foden (England). Manchester City midfielder. 60 million.
• Vinícius Júnior (Brazil). Left winger of Real Madrid. 50 million.
• Mason Greenwood (Inglaterra). Manchester United right winger. 50 million.
• Eduardo Camavinga (France). Rennes midfielder. 50 million.
• Rodrygo Goes (Brasil). Right winger of Real Madrid. 45 millions.
• Ferran Torres (Spain). Manchester City right winger. 45 millions.
• Bukayo Sako (England). Arsenal’s left inside. 40 million.
• Dejan Kulusevski (Sweden). Juventus right winger. 40 million.
• Callum Hudson-Odoi (Inglaterra). Chelsea’s left winger. 35 millions.
• Sandro Tonali (Italy). Milan central midfielder. 32 million.
• Jonathan David (Canada). Attacking midfielder from Lille. 30 million.
• Dominik Szoboszlai (Hungary). Red Bull Salzburg’s left midfield. 25 million.
• Fábio Silva (Portugal). Wolverhampton forward. 25 million.
• Sergiño Dest (United States). Right back of Barcelona. 20 million.
• Ryan Gravenberch (Netherlands). Ajax midfielder. 11 million.
• Mitchel Bakker (Netherlands). PSG’s left back. 3.5 million.