Pau Cubarsi leads latest 2026 Golden Boy rankings, Yamal second

Pau Cubarsi is leading the latest 2026 Golden Boy standings, with Barcelona team-mate Lamine Yamal in second place. Yan Diomande occupies third, Warren Zaire-Emery is fourth and Ayyoub Bouaddi completes the current top five.

The rankings have been released before the final voting process, which is scheduled to take place later in the year. The Golden Boy winner is due to be announced in November, leaving the current order subject to change before the result is confirmed.

Cubarsi’s position comes after a notable year for the Barcelona defender. He has already claimed an individual honour in 2026, being selected as the Best Young Player at the 2026 World Cup.

Yamal’s second-place position is complicated by the competition’s regulations. Although he is currently behind Cubarsi in the standings, the Barcelona winger is not eligible to win the award this year.

That leaves Cubarsi as the leading eligible name in the published rankings, while Diomande, Zaire-Emery and Bouaddi follow behind him. Their places form the rest of the current top five as the voting period moves towards its conclusion.

The Golden Boy award will therefore remain unresolved until the final votes are completed. The November announcement will determine whether Cubarsi converts his current lead into the 2026 prize.