Myles Lewis-Skelly Nominated for 2026 Golden Boy Award

Myles Lewis-Skelly has been included on the final shortlist for the 2026 Golden Boy award, earning another piece of individual recognition after establishing himself at Arsenal and breaking into the England senior side.

The 20-year-old is the only representative from the Gunners among the final 25 contenders and sits eighth in the latest Golden Boy Top 100 ranking. Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi leads the list, with Manchester City's Ayyoub Bouaddi, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery and Real Madrid's Yan Diomande among those also ahead of Lewis-Skelly.

The Golden Boy award, created by Italian newspaper Tuttosport in 2003, is given each year to the best male player under the age of 21 playing for a European club. Previous winners include Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal.

Estevao, Endrick, Jorrel Hato and Lennart Karl are also included in a strong final group, which is made up of the leading 20 eligible players from the October ranking and five wild-card selections.

For Lewis-Skelly, the nomination comes little more than two years after his Arsenal first-team debut.

He had been with the Gunners since the age of eight before making the jump from Hale End during the 2024/25 season. A senior debut arrived away to Manchester City in September 2024 and he went on to make 39 appearances in all competitions during his breakthrough campaign, initially making his name in the first team at left-back despite spending much of his academy career in midfield.

Lewis-Skelly remained part of Mikel Arteta's squad as Arsenal won the Premier League in 2025/26 and was used in midfield alongside Declan Rice during the closing weeks of the title-winning campaign. Also being awarded a start in the Gunners’ first Champions League final since 2006.

England recognition came quickly as well. Thomas Tuchel handed Lewis-Skelly his senior debut against Albania in March 2025 and he scored just 20 minutes into his first appearance at Wembley. Arsenal later tied him down to a new long-term contract following that breakthrough season.

The Premier League has eight representatives among the finalists, more than any other domestic competition. Lewis-Skelly is joined by players from Manchester City, Chelsea, Brighton and Bournemouth, while Barcelona have the most nominees of any individual club with three.

One notable absentee from the final voting is Lamine Yamal. The Barcelona forward was second in the latest Top 100 ranking but cannot win the Golden Boy award for a second time under the competition's rules after taking the prize in 2024.

The Arsenal midfielder remains eligible and will now be considered by an international jury of 50 journalists, who will choose the 2026 winner from the final 25.

The award is due to be announced in November. By then, Lewis-Skelly will know whether a rise which has already taken him from Hale End to a Premier League title and senior international football has also earned him one of Europe's leading individual awards for young players.