Brighton’s Nigerian Winger Yohanna Named In 2026 Golden Boy Top 100

Brighton and Hove Albion’s Nigerian summer signing Zadok Yohanna has been included in the 2026 European Golden Boy Top 100 list, coming in at 80th in the annual rankings.

The list was released by Italian outlet, Tuttosport, organisers of the award, which honours the best footballers in the world aged under 21 based on performances in the calendar year. The winner will be announced in November.

From Allsvenskan to the Premier League

Yohanna, 19, joined Brighton from Swedish side AIK Stockholm this summer on a five-year deal running until June 2031. He earned his Golden Boy nomination after a breakthrough spell in the Allsvenskan, scoring 5 goals and providing 4 assists in 18 games.

His performances drew the attention of Premier League scouts and also earned him a Super Eagles call-up for the 2026 Unity Cup. AIK, however, did not release him as the tournament fell outside FIFA’s international window.

In elite company

Yohanna features alongside some of football’s brightest young prospects. Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, Arsenal’s Miles Lewis-Skelly, and Chelsea’s Estevao all made the 100-man shortlist.

Other notable names include PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery, Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi, Sporting’s Ousmane Diomande, Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, Bayern’s Lennart Karl, and Chelsea’s Jorrel Hato.

Yamal technically tops the ranking but cannot win the award after claiming it in 2024. Golden Boy rules bar repeat winners, so a new champion will be crowned this year.

History of the award

Spanish clubs have dominated the Golden Boy award, with past winners including Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Sergio Aguero, Isco, Pedri, Gavi and Jude Bellingham.

Spain leads the all-time winners’ table with 4 recipients, followed by France with 3. Argentina, Brazil, England, the Netherlands and Portugal have each produced 2 winners.