# 2026 Golden Boy award nominations and finalists

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/2026-golden-boy-award-nominations-and-finalists
> Updated: 2026-10-05T15:53:00.000Z. Sources: 12. Developments: 2.

The 2026 Golden Boy award process began with the announcement of 100 nominees, which included three Greek footballers: Christos Mouzakitis, Babis Kostoulas, and Konstantinos Karetsas. The selection utilized a rating system developed by Transfermarkt to identify top talents under the age of 21 playing in European clubs.

Following the initial nomination phase, the selection narrowed to a final list of 25 candidates. Two Greek players, Charalampos Kostoulas of Brighton and Konstantinos Karetsas of Borussia Dortmund, advanced to this final stage. Kostoulas was selected as a wildcard, while Karetsas secured a direct spot after ranking 16th in the voting process.

## Claims

- The Italian newspaper Tuttosport announces the finalists for the Golden Boy award. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The Golden Boy 2026 award features a final list of 25 candidates. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Charalampos Kostoulas is among the 25 finalists for the Golden Boy 2026. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- Konstantinos Karetsas is among the 25 finalists for the Golden Boy 2026. (corroborated by 4 sources)
- The initial list for the award contained 100 football players. (corroborated by 3 sources)
- Désiré Doué was the winner of the previous Golden Boy award. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Charalampos Kostoulas secured his spot as a wildcard. (single source)
- Konstantinos Karetsas ranked 16th in the voting to secure a direct spot in the final phase. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-05: Kostoulas and Karetsas named Golden Boy 2026 finalists

Greek footballers Charalampos Kostoulas and Konstantinos Karetsas have been named among the 25 finalists for the 2026 Golden Boy award announced by Tuttosport.

10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/kostoulas-and-karetsas-named-golden-boy-2026-finalists

### 2026-09-11: Three Greek footballers nominated for Golden Boy Award 2026

Three Greek footballers—Christos Mouzakitis, Babis Kostoulas, and Konstantinos Karetsas—are among the 100 nominees for the 2026 Golden Boy Web Fans Award.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/three-greek-footballers-nominated-for-golden-boy-award-2026

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Cite as: 2026 Golden Boy award nominations and finalists. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/2026-golden-boy-award-nominations-and-finalists